


A Run Of Luck

by Itszero



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character's Name Spelled as Jaeger, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Mid slow burn, Nightclub AU, Tags will be updated as the story progresses, but there's more, eren is 23, there are gangs and shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-07-14 09:19:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 45,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16037516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itszero/pseuds/Itszero
Summary: Eren is on the run from some dangerous people when he comes across Levi, a nightclub owner who offers him refuge. Eren knows that he shouldn't accept it, knows that he can't trust anyone right now, knows the kind of demons that he would be bringing at Levi’s doorstep. But a few days wouldn't hurt, right?As things get more complicated and as Levi realises just how big of a mess Eren is in, it might be too late for him to back away because the two have started falling for each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I have been planning this fic for a couple of weeks now. I have obsessed over it so much and I am both glad and scared to see it out there in the world. I hope you like it.

Eren could feel a stitch building in his side as he ran down the street. His lungs were burning from the effort to breathe. He felt like a ball had clogged his windpipe but he didn't have the time to focus on his body as his instincts took over. He couldn't see how close behind him they were but the sound of the pedestrians being ruthlessly shoved aside by his chasers was enough for him to urge his body to run faster.  

 

 _You had one job, Eren._ He cursed himself. _Stay undetected. And you couldn't even do that. Nooooo. You had to see the busker singing._

 

He tore through the busy downtown streets of Trost, nearly colliding with a group of young shoppers with ice creams in their hands. He swivelled to avoid them and found himself facing a long dark alley nestled between two buildings.

 

Panic infusing his brain, he ran into the alley, hoping against hope that they wouldn't have seen him go in. But if Eren had such good luck, he wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place.

 

His heart deflated as he realised that the alley was a dead end. It ended in a tall metal fence, a fence that Eren was in no shape to jump over. There was nothing else except a dumpster, a few discarded cardboard boxes, a heavy metal door attached to one of the buildings and a short man standing next to the door smoking. Eren felt the edges of his vision blackening- a mouse trapped in a cage, helpless to do anything but his master's bidding. If the men caught up to him, it would be all over. Eren didn't even know for sure what the men would do to him.

 

Reminding himself that panic would get him nowhere, he ran towards his only option out: the door. It was partially propped open using a brick. It didn't have a handle on the outside which meant that it only locked from the inside. They wouldn't be able to follow him once he got in.

_Yes. Finally something going my way._

 

Eren could hear faint music coming from inside. He had his one hand on the edge of the door and one foot already kicking the brick aside when he caught movement from the corner of his eyes and remembered the man quietly smoking.

He looked towards the man who seemed to be looking back at him with a blank expression, the cigarette still burning as he took another drag.

 

'Please. Please. Don't tell them I am here,’ Eren pleaded, trying his luck. His voice shook more than he thought it would.

Then, without sparing another glance, he ran inside and closed the door behind him.

 

***

Levi had been minding his own business. He and his employees had been aware that it would be a hectic day, the beginning of a long weekend which prompted every sleepy college student and tired working men and women to get out of their caffeine-induced trip into a more alcohol and drug induced one.

Still, it shouldn't have bothered Levi. It would be hectic for his employees, not him. His job didn't depend on the footfall of his club. But tell that to his perfectionism which led him to micro-manage his employees, much to their annoyance.

He had taken a quick smoke break, mostly to get away from all the insistent noise that had become a part of his life, that had been a part of his life for such a long time now. It was his time of the day, to get away and be at peace next to the dirty dumpster in the dark alley (he had given up on finding a cleaner place years ago).

So of course, Levi’s peace time had to be interrupted by a boy with wild hair and huge eyes who dressed as if he hadn't seen the inside of a closet in a year.

 

Levi had to admit that he was a little startled to see this kid dashing through the alley only to stop at the sight of the metal fence at the end. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the kid was running from something. Still, Levi did nothing but watch as the kid took in his surroundings and decided that his next course of action was to go into Levi’s club.

Levi should have said something. This homeless kid, who was definitely trouble, was breaking into his club through the back door. He should have said something.

But he didn't. He kept quiet and took another drag as the kid looked back at him while reaching for the door.

'Please. Please. Don't tell them I am here.’ His voice trembled, the only sound in the alley besides the faint music trickling through the open door.

Levi stilled. What got to him wasn't the kid's voice, his dirty clothes or the haphazard way in which his body moved, so obvious in its need to _get away._ No, it wasn't that. What got to Levi, what caused his world to come to a stop for a second were his eyes. His huge too-big-for-his-face green eyes which contained a look of sheer fear and panic that Levi had only seen once in his life before. And he never wanted to see again.

He remained wordless as he watched the kid kick away the brick and close the door behind him, effectively locking Levi out.

 _Great,_ Levi muttered under his breath, regaining his composure as he took another drag of his cigarette. _Now I am locked out of my own club._

He knew that he should probably head inside through the front door and make sure the homeless kid wasn't terrorizing his customers but the truth was that Levi wasn't ready. Those eyes had brought up images that Levi preferred not to see. The look on his face made Levi sure that it was going to be a much more messy situation than he wished for.

So the kid could damn well wait till he finished his smoke break.

 

He was still grumbling about this when he heard footsteps getting louder and louder until two young men came into view.

They were dressed in all black- tight t-shirts, unnecessary leather jackets and slicked back hair. Their chests were heaving from the effort of running and the two took a moment to catch their breaths.

'Are you sure he went this way?’ the blonde one asked looking around.

'Yeah, I swear I saw him,’ the brunette answered, his eyes landing on Levi. 'Hey, you seen a twenty something white guy with shaggy brown hair, about ye high and wearing a faded green jacket?’

Levi took another drag of his cigarette.

The two gave him a moment to respond and when they finally realised that he wasn't going to, the brown-haired one stepped forward.

'I am asking you a question. Are you deaf? Did you see the kid or not?’

Levi sighed, stamped out his cigarette and threw it into the dumpster.

He finally looked over at the two men and said, 'For Christ's sake, can a man not enjoy his cigarette in peace? Do I look like I give a fuck about any green jacket kid? Now fuck off my property before I drag your wannabe Danny Zuko asses to the curb.’

Levi had expected the men to burst. But he hadn't expected the brown-haired one’s hand to go to his waistline behind his jacket.

Levi's body geared itself for whatever would happen next but the only thing his mind could think at that moment was _huh, the brat is in some deep shit then._  

He wasn't scared of some oily ass kid showing off his gun. It definitely wasn't the first time he was at the receiving end of one. But he didn't want his evening to end in such a mess.

The brown-haired one started forward. 'What the fuck did you say to me, you little-’

'Dean, you know he said no using guns unless necessary and no extra bodies. We have already fucked up once. We can't afford another mistake. Besides, we aren't even sure if it was Jaeger. What are the chances that we would see him in Trost. It could be anyone.’

Dean stared at his companion for a moment and then sighed. Reluctantly, he put the gun back into his jacket. 'Dammit, you are right. This isn't worth it. Jaeger wouldn't be in Trost.’ He then looked over to Levi and said, 'You have my friend to thank for saving your life today. I wouldn't be so sure next time I see you.’

Levi raised his eyebrow in response but watched silently as the two wandered back to the street.

 _The state of gun laws in this country is appalling,_ Levi thought, grimacing a little at the direction of the two gangsters currently arguing about which way to go.

As they vanished from sight, he sighed and wondered if the brat was still inside.

 

***

 

Eren was in a nightclub. It could be worse. He could have been in a meat cellar or that weird pawn shop from Pulp Fiction. He was safe, for now. Though he still felt out of his element, with his clothes covered in dirt and stains and his worn-out brown bag on the verge of giving up. To be honest, Eren could relate to the sentiment.

The door he had entered through led to a storeroom which also doubled as a sort of changing room from what he could gather. There were big crates of alcohol along one side and lockers on the other with wooden benches set in front of them. There were a couple of lights but only one had been switched on, giving the room a gloomy atmosphere.

There was a door next to the lockers which presumably led to the rest of the establishment,the beats of electronic music coming from that direction. Eren knew he couldn't stay here for long, either the short man outside who had to be an employee would find him or someone else would and then he would promptly be kicked out. He had to go out and blend in with the customers. What if the man outside had sold him out? What if the men were on their way right now?

Eren had to risk his dirty clothes and try to blend in. He hoped the club was dark and crowded otherwise it would take no time for the men to catch him.

He tried to clean himself as much as possible, brushing his jacket and trying to calm the mess on his head. His hair was usually not this shaggy. But the days on the run had not left Eren much choice with a barber. His beard was much more manageable since it rarely grew more than a few wispy hairs, much to Eren’s annoyance. Though he was thankful for it now since it only took one shave a week in a gas station bathroom or a dingy motel.

He headed out the door, trying to act casual.

The main room was much bigger than he expected. It was a two level club packed with people. There were booths and tables tastefully arranged on Eren’s left side and the bar situated on his right. The centre was a large space reserved for the dance floor which was teeming with people.

A mezzanine floor was above the tables section, its glass walls looking down directly onto the dance floor and the bar. The low ceiling of the tables and booths due to the presence of the mezzanine gave it a cozy dark feel while the dance floor and the bar looked very spacious with their high ceilings in spite of the amount of people present.

There were dim lights fixed on the walls and strobe lights attached to the ceiling. A huge chandelier was hanging from the ceiling right beside the mezzanine covering almost all of the dance floor. Its lights were also dimmed so as to not disrupt the dark atmosphere. The walls above the booth were covered with velvet padding while the rest were black with paintings hanging at regular intervals. The entire club gave off an aura of mystery and well, temptation. It was quite enthralling, a kind of club Eren would have loved before all this started.

Electronic music was blaring through the speakers but Eren could still hear tails ends of conversations and the clinking of glasses. The booths were his best bet but none of them were vacant and no group would allow him, a stranger, to sit at their table, especially not when he looked like this.

The next alternative were the washrooms.

 

He finally found them on the opposite side of the dance floor. It took him quite a while to pass all the people, his body bursting with adrenaline the entire time. He wanted, needed to get away.

There were quite a few people at the urinals. He stepped inside one of the empty stalls, locked the door, settled down and waited. Waited for what, he didn't know.

His brain decided to play a slideshow of all the movies where the villains come in, kicking in all the stalls open trying to find the hero.

 _Fuck_.

He began regretting his decision with each passing second. Where else could he go? He couldn't go out of the club yet in case the men were still out there. He could try his luck on the dance floor but he didn't want to be surrounded by sweaty bodies, not having any visibility beyond a few feet while his heart drummed faster than the beats of the music.

Although it was probably a better option than the bathroom stall, now that he thought about it. He would be more open to attack but he would at least have several escape options. He would be trapped here if they were to find him in the bathroom.

With this in mind, he unlocked the stall door only to find the short man from outside on the other side glaring at him.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hoped you guys liked the first chapter! The second is already written and would be up soon. All criticism would be appreciated. I feed on validation so I would absolutely love to see anything okay. It will make me cry


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It's here. I have been working on some future chapters so I couldn't upload this until I had finished working on that. Feel free to tell me if you like it.  
> Also, do you guys want a quick recap of the story at the beginning of each chapter in the notes? Because generally if I read a newly updated chapter of a fic, I usually don't remember like 90% of what has happened and I have seen some authors do it which is very helpful for me at least.

Eren’s heart could not handle any more surprises. He yelped rather embarrassingly at the sight of the man and instinctively backed away which caused him to trip on the toilet seat and clutch the walls of the stall to avoid falling into it.

He looked past the man, so sure that those men would be right behind him but there was no one there. Vaguely, he could hear the urinals being flushed and water gushing from open taps.

Okay, maybe the men weren't here but that didn't mean the short man hadn't sold him out yet.

 'Are you going to stand there staring at me like an owl on acid or are you going to come out?,’ the man asked, standing with his arms crossed and one foot lightly tapping against the floor.

Eren blurted out the only thing he could think of. 'I have a knife.’

The man scowled a little and said, 'Congratulations. Are we listing the things we have now? Because I have a-’

He stopped suddenly after a look at Eren’s face. 'Relax brat, I am not going to hurt you. And I haven't ratted you out.’

The tight string around his heart loosened a little but he didn't dare put his guard down yet. 'Why should I believe you?’

'Believe me, don't believe me, fuck if I care. You can either get the fuck out of my club and risk it on the streets or come with me. Your choice.’ With that, the man turned away and walked out of the bathroom.

Eren had no choice but to believe him. He was not going out right now, no matter what. He would just have to keep his guard up and pray that the man wouldn't betray him. He hoped that counting the number of exits in this place would be enough to save him.

 

***

The short guy was waiting outside when Eren came out. Now that Eren wasn't actively running for his life, he got a chance to get a close look at the man.

The most noticeable things about the guy, aside from his height, were his straight black hair styled into an undercut and his pale skin. His skin reminded Eren of one of those vampires from Twilight actually. Although the guy was short, he looked fit- all hard edges and light muscles. His face was cut in sharp angles which did a good job of emphasizing his harsh expression.

He was wearing a plain black T-shirt, dark blue jeans and black shoes. His dark clothing only accentuated the paleness of his skin. If Eren wasn't so frazzled, he might have even found the guy attractive.

'Quit staring, idiot and follow me,’ the man said, walking away.

It took Eren a couple of seconds to start following. 'How do I know you aren't leading me back to them?’

'How many times will we have the same conversation? You don't. You will just have to trust a stranger. Sucks to be you, I suppose.’

'You don't know the half of it,’ Eren muttered under his breath, still following him.

He stopped when he realised that the stranger was going up the stairs to the glass-walled mezzanine. Eren didn't want to be the idiot who follows a random guy he met in a club into a dark corner.

He didn't know how the stranger heard him stop since he could barely hear his own steps with the loud music playing but somehow he did. The man turned back and looked at Eren who was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

'You want to eat here where you barely have a place to stand, instead of up there? Be my guest.’ Then, the stranger turned back without another word and walked upstairs.

'Eat? Wha-?’ Eren wondered aloud as he made up his mind to go after him.

 

The mezzanine was even fancier than downstairs. It was clearly some kind of private lounge or VIP section. Eren was surprised that the stranger, who was definitely an employee, had brought him here. He quickly scanned the place for the two men and was relieved to find only a group of old business men dressed in suits sitting in one of the large U-shaped booths in a corner.

The business men looked up at the sight of them. 'Ahh Levi. You haven't met us even once this month. It's been too long,’ said one of them, tipping his glass of whiskey towards him.

'You know I like to travel, Franco. I am a bit busy at the moment. Carry on boys, I will talk to you later. Next round’s on the house,’ the stranger, who now had a name, replied without sparing them a look. He walked past them to a tiny booth in the opposite corner. He inspected it once and upon finding it to his satisfaction, beckoned Eren with one hand.

The business men laughed, even though the whole conversation seemed a bit rude to Eren considering Levi hadn't even looked at them once while talking. 'Typical Ackerman,’ one of them barked.

 _Ackerman._ The stranger had the same last name as Mikasa. Mikasa, who he hadn't contacted in about five months. _No. Eren, you can't afford to think about Mikasa right now._ He shook his head in a useless attempt to clear his thoughts and took a seat at the booth.

'Stay here, brat. Don't touch anything. I hope you washed your hands. I will be right back.’

Eren watched Levi go back downstairs, his eyes following him through the glass wall as he walked across the dance floor to the bar.

Eren saw Levi hop on a stool and lean over the bar counter to talk to the bartender on the other side, a tall person with brown hair and square glasses. Eren couldn’t decipher if the person was a man or a woman. They nodded fervently and grinned at whatever Levi said, then disappeared behind the door leading to the kitchen, Eren presumed.

Taking their place instead, Levi quickly started taking orders and making drinks, clearly comfortable with the task. Eren’s eyes flicked between Levi and the rest of the room, scanning for any sign of the men. There were too many people dressed in black, which was to be expected in a club, but it still sent his heart pounding. He had started correlating the colour to danger to such an extent that nowadays he got startled at the sight of any punk kid.  

It had been so long since he had been to a nightclub like this. He could see himself at his graduation downing shots after shots as his friends, Sasha and Connie cheered him on while the rest of their group looked on with a bewildered expression. Though it hadn't been more than seven months since that night, it seemed like a lifetime ago.  

He was still thinking of that night when something landed on the table with a clank. He jumped but relaxed when he saw that it was a plate of hot steaming food- a big old American cheeseburger with a side of fries and a glass of what looked like soda. His mouth started watering at the sight and his stomach growled.  

'Dig in, brat,’ Levi said, sitting down opposite him.

Eren didn't need to be told twice. _Ah, glorious food,_ he thought as he took bite after bite of the burger, hardly waiting to swallow before stuffing fries in his mouth. He hadn't felt this wonderful in ages.

'Okay, okay. Calm down or you will throw it all back up. You don't look like you get three square meals a day,’ Levi quipped, watching Eren with an amused expression.

Eren didn't respond but took a break from the food to gulp down the drink which had indeed turned out to be soda.

Levi smirked. 'I would have brought beer instead but you don't seem legal.’

This made Eren glower. 'Excuse you, I am 23 **,’** he said with his mouth full of food.

'Yeah, you clearly act your age.’

Eren chose not to dignify that with a response and instead focused back on his burger. Levi watched him patiently, leaning against the curved back of the seat with his right elbow resting on its head, parallel to his shoulder.

 

After Eren had taken the last sip of his coke and burped rather rudely, Levi asked, 'Satisfied? Now tell me who you are and why are there people after you.’

There was no way Eren could tell him the truth. He didn't even know the whole truth. And what he did know would be enough for anyone to sell him out or at least kick him out of their lives. Eren wasn't born yesterday. He wasn't going to trust a stranger, even if that stranger had been kind enough to feed him. What could this guy even want with Eren’s story? Morbid curiosity? Genuine concern for another human being? Nefarious plans to sell him out?

Levi didn't seem like the type of guy who would go out of his way to help someone but then again, he _had_ given Eren food. But at the same time, there was a difference between providing a stranger with food and getting involved in gang activity. Even if Levi was genuinely concerned, when he realised how big of a mess Eren was in, he wouldn't touch Eren with a ten foot pole.

And if the guy indeed had nefarious plans, Eren couldn't risk telling the truth.

'Um, thank you for the food and the drink but I should really go now. I don't really have that much money with me but I can probably give you something.’ Eren started to get up, his hand already going to his brown bag.

'It’s been half an hour since you stepped inside. You really wanna risk going out there so soon?’ Levi remarked, crossing his arms and raising one perfectly shaped eyebrow.

Eren sat his ass back down.

'Good. Guess I will be the one carrying this conversation, huh? I didn't give you food for the money and you know it so cut the bullshit. I am Levi. You are in my club. It's called Regrets. Believe me, I didn't name it. Awful marketing strategy if you ask me but it's too late to change it now.’

Eren felt his lips go up in a slight smile. He was in a club called Regrets. Incredible.

Levi didn't say another word and just continued to watch Eren with his blank expression. Eren felt the weight of those eyes boring into his face. He couldn't decide which colour they were, they almost seemed colourless.

They sat like that for around five minutes, quietly looking at each other. While Levi seemed at ease with himself, Eren was much more nervous. However, the longer they continued the staring competition, the more he could feel his heartbeat slowing down and his fists unclenching.

He finally spoke up. 'My name is Eren. I am from- uh it doesn't matter. I am a student or was a student technically. I graduated recently.’

_Okay, that much information is enough. Why didn't you give a fake name, you idiot. At least you didn't say your last name. Thank God._

'Okay, Eren, ex-student. Care to tell me who are you running away from?’

Eren racked his brain. He couldn't tell the truth. Especially not now when he had just avoided getting caught. 'Um, it's my ex. It was a bad breakup and he didn't take it well.’

Levi frowned. 'One bad ex has you running away to the point where you look like you haven't showered in months? Or is this your usual style?’

Eren gulped. 'You don't understand. He has power. He and his friends are sort of a street gang. They have been stalking me for the past five months.’ He didn't think he could lie through his teeth so well. He didn't want to say the word 'gang’ but there was nothing else that Eren could think of now that would explain this level of fear.

He continued, 'It has gotten to the point that I can't go to any of my friends for help. I don't even know how my friends are. I can only pray that they haven't reached them yet. Or thought to reach them. I am pretty sure my friends are worried sick about me, especially Mikasa and Armin. We are almost like family. Mikasa’s always been the over-protective mom friend. Someone had to be. She would be tearing through streets right now trying to find me and I have been too scared to even send her a message telling her that I am alright. And Armin, god Armin, he acts like he is the pillar of reason and strength and well, he is but he thinks we don't see him worrying and fretting over every little thing. I can't even imagine what must be going through their minds right now. I am just so si-’

He stopped his rambling, embarrassed to realise that he had spoken too much. These past five months, he hadn't really gotten the chance to talk to anyone. He had been so so alone and he was so so tired.

Dammit, he couldn't let his guard down. He was not going to let his feelings be the thing that kills him.He blinked rapidly to prevent the tears from falling and cleared his throat. 'Sorry, got carried away a little. Well, if you don't mind, I will just stay here for a couple of hours and then leave. I don't want you to get in any trouble.’

While Eren had been rambling, the only indication that Levi had even been listening was the slow uncrossing of his arms and the slight narrowing of his eyes.

'Do you have any place to stay or are you living on the streets?’ he asked, his voice soft but firm amidst the raucous laughter of the businessmen nearby and the pounding music of the club.

'Uh, yeah yeah I do.’

'Liar.’

'How would you know if I am lying?’

'Because you are terrible at it. Look, kid. If you don't have anywhere else to go, you can stay with me for a little while.’

 

***

 

Levi knew he was making a big mistake by offering this kid refuge. What kind of an idiot asked a stranger who had a fucking gang after him whether he wanted to be roomies?

And Levi very well knew that this was no vindictive ex drama. This was no street gang comprising of a couple of highschool dropouts. The two men had been kids, sure but they had looked like they meant business. And the kid implied that he wasn't from here. A street gang wouldn’t make him run this far to another city. No one would take to living on the streets just from the threat of an abusive ex. This meant that the brat couldn't go to the police. Either because the gang was big enough to have officers on their payroll or the brat was involved in some illegal shit.

Besides, Levi wasn't joking when he said that the kid was terrible at lying. It would have been fun to see the brat make up a story on the spot if he hadn't been so close to tears. And that was the reason why Levi was doing this.

Seeing Eren so distraught and scared reminded him of Isabel and Furlan. And even of himself to an extent. Hearing Eren talk about his friends, he couldn't help but feel something in that ice cold heart of his, as his employees liked to call it. He didn't want to see that look on another person and he sure as fuck didn't want another person to end up like them.

Eren was staring at him wordlessly, his fingers ripping up a paper napkin into small pieces. He looked confused, relieved and weirded out at the same time. His eyes were the most expressive things Levi had ever seen in his life. _How the fuck does this kid ever get away with lying?_

'No offense but I don't want to get murdered in my sleep,’ Eren murmured.

 _The brat sure has a mouth on him._ 'If I wanted to murder you, you would be dead by now.’

Eren bit his lip, unconvinced.

Levi sighed. ‘Fine, if you don't trust me, don't stay at my house. You can stay here but there won't be a bed and it would be very odd hours.’

Eren jerked back, clearly surprised at the offer. 'Are you actually offering?’

'Yes.’

'Here? In the club?’

'Yes. You would be alone. Can't really get murdered here unless you trip on your feet and break your neck.’

'I don’t understand. Why? Why are you offering?’

Levi paused. He could see it on Eren’s face that his decision rested on what would come out of Levi’s mouth next. But he didn't have it in himself to tell him the truth. ‘If you want to stay, stay. If you don't, that's fine too.’

Eren stared at him skeptically.

Levi sighed. 'I am not going to try to explain myself. But I promise that no harm will come to you here. You would just have to trust me.’ He made sure to look into Eren’s eyes as he spoke, trying to make him see that he meant it.

He could see the gears inside Eren’s head turning, mulling over what he said. The brat honestly looked constipated.

Finally, after what seemed like a century, Eren nodded. 'Okay, I accept. Thank you.’

Levi didn't know why he felt relieved.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. Do not hesitate to tell me if you did. I will be back with the next chapter soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!! The third chapter is here. My policy is basically that I don't post a chapter until I have completed a future chapter. So it takes a little time.

'We have an employee’s washroom and shower which you can use. The shower is rarely used and everyone carries their own toiletries in case they have to use it. The heater might not work since it's been so long. I will get someone to fetch you some toiletries. Please tell me there is an extra set of clothes in that shitty torn bag of yours because there is no point to a shower if you wear the same thing again. Ah, just the thought of it makes me gag.’ Levi shuddered as he showed Eren to the store room, one he had previously been in.  
Levi pointed to a door on the far left which Eren hadn't seen in his hurry to get out of there.

He turned towards Eren. 'That’s the bathroom right there. Are you sure you don't want to stay in my guest room? It will be a hell of a lot more comfortable.’

'Not until you tell me why you are doing this.’ Eren felt satisfied with his response. He wasn't sure he would accept the invitation even if the man explained his reasons behind his philanthropic actions but he couldn't exactly tell his benefactor that he didn't trust him enough to not be a creep. He didn't feel fully comfortable staying here either but well, beggars couldn't be choosers. It wasn't that he couldn't adjust to the bare amenities that he would get here (it was way better than what Eren had allowed himself to have). Rather, it was the fact that Eren had learnt that most people did not do good things without a reason. Even if the reason was self-satisfaction, which if it was in this case, Levi was in for a bad surprise.

'You know, not to dig my own grave or anything, but if you are doing this to feel good, you would be better off giving money to dog shelters than helping me. I know you promised that no harm would come to me but I can't promise that no harm would come to you or your club.’ Eren hoped that the speech wouldn't make Levi change his mind but at the same time, he couldn't let himself take help from this man without letting him know what he was in for.

Levi was silent. He searched Eren’s face for a moment and then sighed. 'Brat, I am not stupid nor am I afraid of some bitch ass kid and his gang. Do not tell me what to do. If you want to stay here, I order you, not the other way around. Understand?’

Eren nodded, relieved to hear that the offer still stood.

‘Good. Now, go shower and dress after you get your stuff. I can smell you from a mile away and it's not pleasant. It’s a fucking wonder they didn't catch you earlier with that smell stinking up the entire street,’ Levi said, scrunching his nose.  
With one last glance, he turned and walked out the door, leaving Eren alone. 

Eren’s cheeks burned.  
_Okay, he's not the most pleasant person in the world._

He looked around the store room and checked out the washroom, his mind replaying the events of today. He couldn't believe that this was really happening. A part of him felt that this was all a dream and it would just be a second before he woke up. Another part of him called him stupid for deciding to stay. Another part felt guilty for doing this to Levi.

But mostly, Eren felt tired. He was tired of running and he was tired of feeling afraid. He had always wondered what it felt like to be one of those characters in movies who lived with their lives on the line, what it felt like to be afraid to the core of his being, to let panic govern his actions, to think of death as not a far away intangible concept but as something that was just around the corner waiting for him to fuck up.

And now he knew.

If staying at this place would get rid of that feeling for a couple of days and give him at least a sense of normal, then so be it.

So even though he knew that he shouldn't trust Levi, knew that he would eventually have to leave, knew that there were still people after him, he was going to accept Levi’s offer.

 

***

  


'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!’

 

A loud screech pierced Eren’s ears making him get up and look around, his hand tight around the knife strapped to his belt. The source of the sound was a person, the same person who was manning the bar earlier. They were tall and thin with brown hair pulled up in a haphazard ponytail, a distinctive aquiline nose and thick glasses strapped to their face with a band.

They backed off a little on seeing Eren startle but their crazy grin remained in place. 'So you are the one who is going to stay here. What a cute little puppy. Levi didn't tell me you would be so cute. Hi, I am Hange Zoe. You can call me Hange.’

They pushed their hand forward and Eren hesitantly shook it. He had been sitting on one of the benches after showering, having been told by Levi to stay there until the club closes. He didn't even remember dozing off but now that he could no longer hear the music, he realized that he must have been sleeping for quite some time.

'Uh, hello. I am Eren. Thank you for letting me stay here and I am sorry if I am inconveniencing you guys in any way.’

'Nonsense, Eren! I can already tell that you are going to be a delight to have around. We needed someone new to liven up this place.’

Eren didn't think he could liven up any place after these five months but he smiled anyway.

Hange brightened up even more at that. 'Come, let me show you around and introduce you to everyone, now that we are finally closed. You can trust every employee here but I decided it would be safer if you go by a fake name, in case it slips out. And it would make things more interesting. Shorty grumbled about how I am being over dramatic but I convinced him to do it. It would be so much fun, like a spy movie or something. So do you have a fake name? Or is Eren a fake name, in which case, we can use that. It's a very pretty name by the way. At first, I thought you were a girl but that's usually Erin, not Eren. And I didn't want to assume.’

Eren listened to them babble all the way out the door and to the bar. The more they talked, the more he realised that he liked Hange. They seemed friendly and harmless, in stark contrast to Levi who made Eren tense up without even trying. He also liked the fact that they asked questions without expecting any answers. Hange wasn't the type to wait for Eren to stumble his way through answering all the questions that he couldn't answer. They just carried on the conversation.

 

  
The club was vacant, the music silent and the lights lit up to their fullest extent. The whole scene looked very surreal to Eren. Clubs were one of those places that were not meant to be empty, like an amusement park or a mall. The only times he had seen places like these empty were in horror movies.

There were three people sitting at one of the tables, clearly relaxing after a hard night’s work, while one person was behind the bar, checking the stock.

'Everyone, gather around. Petra, go bring everyone from the kitchen too. I want y'all to meet someone.’

The short blonde girl behind the bar put her clipboard on the countertop and went into the kitchen, coming back with four more people, one of them being Levi. He trailed after the others slowly, keeping to the back.

'Okay, so we have a new addition to our little family. He's gonna be staying with us for a little while and helping us around the club. This is-’ Hange stopped, looking over at him.

 _Right. Fake name._ Eren had used a fake name a couple of times including when he had to hitchhike. He usually stayed away from any places that would ask for his identity since he didn't have a fake ID but when strangers asked him his name, he couldn't just refuse to give it. He had to answer with a fake one.

When it had happened for the first time, he had been standing next to a newspaper stand at a petrol pump about sixty miles away from Shiganshina. His eyes were on the main headlines and he was wondering whether he should spend money on buying a copy when the old lady at the register had struck up a conversation with him. She had asked him his name and he had panicked. The only names that could come to his mind at that point were Mikasa and Armin. He had ultimately shortened Armin to Armie in the heat of the moment and it had stuck ever since. Now, whenever someone asked his name, he immediately thought of Armin.

'Hello, I am Armie,’ he said, hoping that he sounded confident enough.

'Ooh like Armie Hammer?’ Hange enquired.

'Hah, yeah, I guess so.’ Eren smiled politely.

'You even look like him, Armie. A puppy version of him,’ Hange said, winking suggestively. Eren blushed. He could swear he saw Levi huff out a laugh.

'That’s a nice name. Hello Armie, I am Petra’, the blonde woman said, smiling warmly.

Slowly everyone introduced themselves. Oluo, Gunther, Eld, Moblit, Bertholdt and Reiner. Eren could hardly keep up.

They discussed their job titles too but all he could remember was that Hange was the manager and Levi the owner, a fact that baffled Eren.  
_He seems so young. How can a guy who doesn't even look thirty own a club._ Though he didn't dare voice his thoughts, knowing that Levi would probably smite him with another sarcastic remark.

Everyone seemed very friendly but also tired. So it wasn't surprising when they didn't ask Eren many questions and instead cleaned up for the night and shuffled out after collecting their things from the lockers. Eren was relieved to see that.  Being asked his name had been nerve wracking enough, he didn't need more questions.

Meanwhile, Hange showed him around with Levi tailing behind them. Levi didn't say much or anything at all, just a constant shadow at their backs. At one point, after seeing Eren glance at him for the fifth time, Hange laughed and said, 'Don't mind him, Eren. Shorty just wants to get into everyone's business.’

Levi scoffed in reply but continued his silent shadowing.

In addition to what Eren had already seen, they also showed him the kitchen, a small stage and backstage room attached to the other side of the dance floor, and a set of offices for the manager and the accountant.

 

When it was time for them to leave, Levi and Hange sat Eren down at the bar.

'Look brat, we are heading out. I live near here so I am going to bring you some blankets and pillows. You can room at the storage room or in one of the booths. Just make sure you clean up after yourself. Don't make a mess. We will be there tomorrow at around 12. Make sure you are awake then. We are locking the club but you will be able to use the storage room door, though I don't think you would want to go out at this point. If I see anything stolen, Eren, you won't need to worry about that gang because I will be after you. Understand?’

For such a small guy, Levi sure was intimidating. Eren shrank under the gaze of those eyes, hard as stone and cold as ice.

'Yes, of course. I won't.’ Eren gulped. 'And thank you, for doing all this.’

'Aw, Levi, don't scare him that much. He is an innocent puppy, can't you see?’ Hange protested, ruffling Eren’s hair.

'Dogs bite too, Hange. Now come on. I gotta come back to give this idiot blankets.’  
Levi walked out, not bothering to see if Hange followed.

Eren had known the man for only a few hours but he could already guess that he did that a lot. He either always had people accept his orders or didn't care whether they did or not.

Hange smiled, shaking their head slowly. 'Don't worry, he will grow on you. Levi comes off as an asshole at first. Partly because he is. But mostly because he doesn't want anyone to know that he's also a giant softie.’

Ruffling his hair once more, they smiled at him before following after Levi.  

 

  
  
Eren was checking out the beer taps behind the bar when Levi came back, holding two huge cloth bags filled with blankets and pillows.

Eren rushed over to help him but Levi refused and set the bags on the counter.

'Do not dirty them. And I want them cleaned before you leave. I am not cleaning after some brat. I have got enough problems in my life.’

'Yet you want to help me out,’ Eren pointed out.

'I have been asking myself why all this time. I just know I am going to regret it.’

Eren bit his lip. 'It's not too late to change your mind.’

'Shut up, brat and let me do what I want to do.’

‘Thank you for this,’ Eren said smiling softly. 'You know, you might be the first person who's been kind to me in months. I think I had forgotten what it felt like.’  
His cheeks grew warm by the time he finished talking. _Why do I have to say shit that I know I will instantly regret_ , he mentally groaned. This was too close to talking about his feelings and Eren wasn't ready for that.

'Stop talking and go to sleep. I am doing jack shit. You are paying for this shit by working your ass off, I hope you know that,’ Levi responded. His words were harsh but his eyes didn't look as cold as before. Or maybe Eren was just dreaming.

Oddly enough, the words were what Eren needed to hear. He was glad that Levi didn’t take his sappiness seriously. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Levi had responded in kind. He was also glad to know that he would be working in the club.   
'Yes, boss. See you tomorrow.’

They bid each other goodnight and Levi was about to leave when Eren stopped him. 'Uh, Levi. One more question. Hange. What pronouns do they prefer?’ He hoped he was doing this right. He knew he could be an impulsive idiot at times so he usually kept his mouth shut until the other person told him themselves.

'They/them. Also responds to Four Eyes or Shitty Glasses. Take your pick.’

Eren chuckled and shook his head. 'Okay, thank you.’

Finally, Levi left and Eren was alone.

 

 

***

 

Eren thought it would be easy sleeping alone. He had done it for months. Sleeping in tiny motels which didn't ask him for identity proof, subway stations, bus stations and even the streets when money was tight and options were limited.

But it somehow felt different here, all alone in this huge establishment. It was a mid-size club, not even as big as some of the others Eren had frequented during his college days but knowing that he was the only breathing soul here, quite literally locked in with only one exit out made his heart want to flip out of his chest.

He first tried sleeping in one of the booths. The seats were long enough to comfortably fit him in but the huge spacious room left him feeling exposed. Not to mention, the weird noises that would wake him up just when he would be on the cusp of sleeping and make his imagination run wild.

He then moved his makeshift bed to the storage room, setting it up on the floor as the benches were too tiny to lie on. But the crates created more blind spots than he was comfortable with and the tiny noises kept scaring him even there.  
He finally dozed off at around half past seven in the morning, too tired to pay attention to his surroundings anymore.

 

_'Eren, they are after me. After us. We have to go. We have to leave.’_

_'What do you mean? Dad, are you okay? Dad?’_

_'Listen to me. Take out all the money from your account. Pack the essentials. I will be there by morning. I will explain everything later. We have to run, run Eren.’_

_The line went dead._

_He suddenly heard a loud noise, a noise he had never heard in his life but could recognise anywhere: the sound of a car crashing against the side of a bus. The metal screeching on impact, the glass crushing into a thousand pieces, the yell that he could imagine coming from the car driver as he scrambled to pull the breaks, his body slamming against the seatbelt which was not enough to protect him from impact._

_Eren heard the aftermath too. The relative silence that followed a car accident. People standing shell-shocked on the side of the road, people getting out from their cars to gawk at what was stopping traffic, passengers from the bus huddling out as fast as they could with tears running down their faces while someone called the ambulance._

_Eren wanted to tell them that it wasn't needed. There was only one person who had been injured and he was already dead._

_Then all he could hear was silence, deafening silence._

_He felt like he was at the bottom of a lake, drowning though there was no water to be found. He couldn't seem to get enough oxygen in, no matter how hard he tried. His heavy breaths seemed insufficient, his ribcage digging into his lungs, preventing them from expanding. He was trapped, trapped. Trapped in his own body. He just wanted to breathe, breathe-_

 

He awoke with a gasp, his body sitting up, his hands at his throat as he tried to breathe. His mind replayed the image of the accident on a loop until he was consumed with so much panic that he couldn't think of anything beyond his need for air. His heart hammered against his chest, trying to rip it open.

Vaguely, he decided to move, willing to do anything to get some air in. He slowly crawled out the storage room to behind the bar, hoping for water. He could feel his throat drying up, his fingers starting to tingle. He was going to pass out soon, he just knew it.

He was kneeling behind the bar searching for water when he saw the landline with a list of numbers attached to it. He wanted to call Mikasa, hear Mikasa's voice, have her tell him that it was all going to be okay.

He didn't know which numbers he pressed but soon the phone was ringing. It was all he could do to clutch the handset to his ear and not pass out.

The line connected.

'Hello?’

The voice was not Mikasa's. It was low and deep, belonging to a man.

It was familiar too but Eren couldn’t remember whose it was. He tried to speak but his mouth didn't seem to cooperate.

'Eren? Eren, can you hear me?’

 _Levi, it was Levi,_ he realised with a jolt. He didn't want to bother Levi more than he already had but at the same time, hearing him brought Eren slightly closer to reality.

'I- I am sorry. It’s nothing. I didn't mean-,’ he tried saying but his throat was too dry, his lungs burning from the lack of air.

'Eren, wait there. I am coming. Don’t hang up till then, alright?’

 _No,_ Eren tried to say but nothing came out. Black spots started appearing in his line of vision, his head felt _so heavy_.

'Breathe, brat. Breathe. I will be right there.’

That calm baritone voice was the last thing Eren heard before the black spots took over.

 

***

 

Eren could feel something smooth against his cheek. His head was aching slightly and his eyes were shut close, refusing to budge.  
He realised that his mouth was open and there was dried drool stuck to the side of his mouth. His tongue felt like sandpaper. He was very thirsty.

With a groan, he forced his eyes open. Sunlight filtered in through big french windows, the curtains drawn aside. He was lying on a bed in a room he had no memory of. His heart lurched as he sat up, unfamiliar with his surroundings.

He got up, looking for his shoes but they were nowhere to be found. His bag wasn't there either. He padded to the door, opening it slowly to peer outside.

He could see a long corridor with painted blue walls. There was a door next to his room and a pathway at the end of the corridor leading to the rest of the house.  
He made his way to the living room, careful not to make any sounds.

The living room was modern but sparsely decorated. It looked beautiful in a minimalistic sort of way with blue, grey and white walls, and plain black furniture. However, it looked more like a hotel room than a home to Eren. No personal belongings, everything where it was supposed to be. Nothing that would help him discern where he was.

 _Fuck playing detective, Eren, get out of here first._ Chiding himself, he hurried over to the front door. But before his hand could reach the doorknob, someone spoke.  
'Leaving so soon?’

Eren jumped and turned, only to find Levi standing at the entrance of the corridor in black sweatpants and a green t-shirt.  
Slowly, his memories came back. He remembered the anxiety attack, the call and Levi at the other end. He groaned, his cheeks heating up.

'Oh my god. I am so sorry. God, I can't believe I did that. Last night. I am an idiot. I didn't mean to disturb you more than I already have.’ He stared at the floor, unable to meet Levi’s eyes. He had to physically keep his hands by his side to prevent them from covering his face.

'Shut up, brat. It's good that your stupid ass hit speed dial and called me when it did or you would still be lying on that dirty floor,’ Levi grumbled, walking over to the open kitchen which was separated from the living room by a large marble breakfast bar. 'Now, sit and have breakfast.’

Eren stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, watching Levi take out eggs from the fridge and heat up the stove. He had never received this much help from a stranger and he didn't know how to accept it. It made his skin feel weird, to know that he owed so much to this stranger. He was grateful, yes, eternally grateful but he was also embarrassed.

Levi looked up from the eggs. 'Are you coming or not?’

Eren slowly nodded, deciding to shove his embarrassment aside for later. Or trying to, anyway. He sat down on one of the stools of the breakfast bar, before getting up again and asking, 'Is there any way I can help you? Let me make the breakfast. I can do that at least.’

'No. Sit. I don't like my routine being messed with,’ Levi replied as he tied an apron around his waist. He then proceeded to crack the eggs one by one, throwing away their shells.

It all seemed very homely, which was a weird look on Levi. This didn't look like a sight a man like Levi would show to strangers. It made Eren feel like he was intruding.

After a moment, Levi said, 'If you are going to stare the entire time, make yourself more useful by putting the bread in the toaster.’

Eren scrambled to the toaster, willing to do any little thing that would help him.

As he waited for the pieces of toast to pop, eyes on them the entire time not willing to risk anything, he heard Levi say, 'Care to explain what happened last night, brat?’  

Eren turned around but Levi was still whisking the eggs, eyes fixed on the bowl. He turned back to the toaster and cleared his throat. 'Um, I had an anxiety attack, I think. It's usually something I can handle. But yesterday, my stupid ass, as you said, called you accidentally and honestly, you didn't even need to do this. It doesn't happen that often and when it does, I am always fine in the morning. I think it was the feel of the club that set it off. Kinda spooky to stay at night. It’s nothing to worry about. I feel so bad for disturbing you. You even had to bring me here. How did you manage that?’

'I carried you.’

Eren had nothing to say to that.

Levi smirked. 'Bridal style, if you were wondering.’

His cheeks heated up again. Eren had more than two decades of experience in speaking to other human beings but nothing could prepare him to reply to this. 

'Look, brat. I don't know what’s causing your anxiety attacks. But if staying at the club is triggering them, then you might as well stay here.’

Eren stilled and looked at him. 'I can't do that to you. I owe you too much already. I don't want to intrude even more.’

'I don't give a flying shit, asshole. Stop thinking about me and make a choice for you. Did sleeping at the club make you uncomfortable?’

'It’s not that simple, Levi. It's okay, honestly. I have handled worse and I-’

'I want a yes or a no. Did it make you uncomfortable? Yes or no?’

'Well, yeah but you have to understand that-’

'Good. Case closed. You spend a night here, well another night here, and then decide, okay? If you are having trouble here too, then by all means, sleep on the storage room floor. If you are worrying about me chopping you up into a dozen pieces and hiding you in my basement freezer, I could have done it multiple times already, if I wanted to. Don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that. Stay here for a night. Deal?’ He finally stopped whisking the eggs and looked at Eren.  
His eyes, which Eren had finally decided were a shade of light grey, dared him to find a logical way out of this.

Slowly, Eren nodded. 'Okay, deal.’

He didn't really think of Levi as a potential murderer anymore. With all the help that Levi had already given him, Eren couldn't help but trust the man a little, even when his experiences from these past months told him not to. He just hoped he wouldn't live to regret it.

'I am guessing from the whole trying-to-sneak-out thing that you didn't drink the water kept for you on the nightstand. So, here,’ Levi said, keeping a glass of orange juice on the counter next to Eren.

'How did you know I was thirsty?’

'It’s called common sense, brat. Now drink up.’

 _Huh_. Maybe Eren had been wrong. Maybe Levi was as harmless as Hange after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. For this chapter, I had to google whether landlines have speed dial or not. 
> 
> Feel free to leave any kudos, comments, anything. I would appreciate it all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's been a longer time than usual. I was a bit busy with college but I am so excited with where this story is heading.

They arrived at the club at around half past noon. Levi had wanted to come by earlier but Eren hadn't been up until half past eleven and the brat had looked like he really needed the rest.

Levi was glad that Eren was staying at his apartment today. He didn't need another call like last night. Levi had dozed off in a light sleep when his phone had rung. For a second, he had thought that those men had caught Eren but then it became obvious that it was something akin to a panic attack. He wasn't an expert on them by any chance but he could at least make sure the brat didn't accidentally kill himself and hopefully calm him down.

They walked the short distance from his apartment to the club. Eren had been on alert the entire time, looking at every direction while keeping his head down and face covered with Levi’s hoodie at the same time.

Levi had decided to give the boy his hoodie since the two goons last night had remembered his green jacket.

But Eren had refused to part with the jacket, instead carrying it in his bag. Which also meant that he had decided to carry almost all of his belongings with him, leaving only a few non-essentials in Levi’s guest bedroom in order to fit the jacket inside.

In all honesty, Levi could understand why he refused to part with it and by extension, the bag. He was scared that he wouldn't see it again, that he would have to leave it behind. So Levi hadn't said anything, just watched the boy carry the torn bag.

 

They reached the club to find the doors already unlocked and were greeted by Hange in the store room, who was sitting on an empty crate with the metal door kept wide open.

'Dave’s not in yet?’ Levi asked, taking a seat on the bench.

'Nope. But I am not worried too much. We are well above danger level.’

'Is this your loading dock?’ Eren asked, taking a seat next to Levi.

'Yes, kind of. There used to be one next to the kitchen too but new construction blocked the way for the trucks. So we receive here instead,' Hange replied, yawning.

'Why do you guys come so early, after working such late nights?’

'We need to check that everything is in order, brat. Maintain schedules and accounts, manage stock, clean up, oversee entertainment, make sure everything is up to standard,’ Levi answered.

'We have other people for that but yes, we do need to oversee everything. It's okay Eren, I had to be here today because of the incoming package. Otherwise, we delegate it to one of the minions usually,’ Hange added, muffling another yawn with her hand.

'Working at a nightclub must be so cool. What am I gonna be doing?’ Eren asked eagerly, looking at both of them. 'Something away from public eye preferably, if I have a choice here.’

Levi replied curtly, 'You don't. But yes, you are going to be in the kitchen helping Gunther and his staff out.’ He turned towards Hange. 'He texted me that the kitchen is going to be understaffed today. You think the brat could help out with no prior training?’

Hange scrunched up their eyebrows. 'Hmm, yes, I got his text too. It would be difficult even for a person _with_ experience to get in tune with them in just one day, let alone one without. I guess he could help with minor things maybe.’

Levi looked at Eren. ‘You have any cooking skills or are you completely useless?’

Eren bit his lip. 'I can cook, technically but it doesn't always turn out well?’

'How bad are we talking here?’

‘Last time I tried to cook any real food, my roommate rang the fire alarm. But he was overreacting. The pot was just a little burnt. I could have handled it. I know now not to add water to a stove fire.’

Hange frowned. 'What about cutting? Chopping vegetables?’

'Yes! I can do that. People say I take too much time but I have done it many times. I have a lot of experience. Look, I still have this scar from when I was cutting onions in my first year of college. Cool battle scar, wouldn't you say?’

Eren showed off a big curved scar on the area between his thumb and forefinger.

Levi didn't even know how someone could get a scar like that from cutting onions. He groaned. 'What have I done, Hange?’

Grinning at Eren’s indignant 'Hey!’, Hange replied, 'Shut up, you meanie. We can make him a busboy. Disguise him a little. We have already told Reiner and Bertholdt to not let in those two from last night.’  

'Are we in Scooby Doo? Do you want to put a fake mustache on him? Give him glasses and a fake nose while we are at it?’

Eren snorted. 'Out of everything related to disguise in pop culture, Scooby Doo is really the only thing you can think of?’

Hange laughed. But before Levi could set the boy straight, they diverted the conversation. ‘He would look so cute with a mustache, Levi. Can you imagine?’

‘If those two aren't getting in like you said, I think I could get away with just a hoodie and the dark lighting,’ Eren said, absentmindedly playing with one of the strings on Levi’s hoodie.

Levi had to admit that the hoodie suited him. A Christmas gift from an ex, it was a bit big on Levi, but it fit perfectly on Eren’s lean frame. The black colour complemented his tan skin and the hood covered almost all of Eren’s shaggy hair with just a few locks peaking out at the top and the sides.

He cleared his throat. 'Fine. We can see how he does cleaning tables. If he fucks that up, he can wash dishes.’

'Yes! Levi! That's the spirit,’ Hange exclaimed, coming over to hug Levi.

'Get off me, demon.’

'It’s okay, Shorty. You don't have to hide your emotions all the time. I know you love me.’

Levi bristled. 'Delusional idiot.’

While he avoided Hange’s attempts to bombard his cheeks with kisses, he caught sight of Eren.  

The brat was staring at them with a sad smile. He looked nostalgic, almost. Levi wondered what, or more specifically, who he was thinking about. The brat had not contacted his friends or family for months. He had really been on his own this whole while. _It has to have fucked with a person’s mind._

He finally succeeded in shoving Hange away. 'Remind me why I haven't fired you yet.’

'Because you would have to deal with the kiddie servers directly.’

'Ugh, fair point,’ Levi grumbled.

Eren asked, 'Who kiddie servers? Most of them look as old as you guys.’

Levi stared at him. 'Do you really think that the people you met yesterday are the only employees here? Brat, were you even listening yesterday when everyone made their introductions?’

Eren scrunched his face. 'Yeah, well mostly. I know the names but I couldn't keep track of everyone's jobs.’

'You dumbfuck. I don't know why I expected more,’ Levi groaned. ‘All seven of them are the managers of their departments. When they said that they 'handle’ so-and-so departments, they meant that they were managers of it. Reiner and Bertholdt share security. Some have only them in their departments like Eld. But there are more people under the rest. Many of them being college students working part-time. It's around 15-20 people on every shift.’

Eren blushed. 'How am I supposed to know how many people are required to run a club?’ he mumbled.

'That’s true, Levi. Most people won't know about this,’ Hange said, defending Eren.

'He should have listened to the introductions.’

Eren retorted, ‘You try listening to a bunch of people talk about their jobs half-asleep from the first nap you get in days after running for your life.’

Levi narrowed his eyes but decided not to say anything.

Hange laughed. 'I like him, Levi. He doesn't back down.’

‘Shut up, Shitty Glasses.' He looked at Eren. ‘You will be working under Oluo today. He's the head of wait staff.’

Hange was right. The brat didn't really back down. Levi had figured that he would have scared him off by now like he did with most people. But it didn't seem to affect Eren. _No,_ Levi thought. It did affect him. He just refused to let that change anything. _Stubborn ass._

 

***

 

 

In the end, everyone decided against the mustache. After several reassurances from Bertholdt and Reiner that people matching the appearances of the two men from yesterday won't be let in, Eren relaxed enough to wear an extra set of uniform borrowed from one of the servers and tie his hair into a small ponytail at the base of his neck. The longest parts of his hair reached halfway to his neck, not as long as some of his friends’ hairstyles had been during their college days, but it still distracted him. He would have cut it himself but he didn't trust himself enough to not fuck it up and in the end, vanity dies hard.

The uniform was a plain fitted black shirt and slacks, with a tiny apron tied around his waist. But Eren skipped the shirt and donned the hoodie instead, wearing his hood up.

He had received a mini lesson from Hange in the afternoon before anyone else had come in. His job extended to just cleaning tables and making them ready for the next set of customers. Ofcourse, it was still very hard. He was finding it hard to carry the multiple plates and glasses to the kitchen in one trip _now_ , he didn't even know how he would handle it when the place was filled to the brink with people.

It was around 6 in the evening and the employees had started coming in. Petra, who Eren had learnt was in charge of entertainment and PR, had arrived earlier to make sure that everything was ready for today's musical talent, a band called The Walled Ins. Hange, who was also in charge of technical, and another employee had set up the stage the way Petra wanted it to be.

The club was supposed to open at 8 today. He had learnt that it opened for five nights a week. Levi gave two days off for the employees to recuperate and it also helped in keeping up a slight illusion of exclusivity. The club had started with opening for only three days a week and had slowly gone up to five over the years. Eren didn't really understand the reason but apparently it was done to make the club look exclusive. It was day two of a long weekend so it was expected to be crowded today too. Eren was supposed to practice until opening time.

Which was exactly what he was doing when Levi came and sat on the table across from the one he was practicing at. Eren made sure to pay attention when he spoke this time.

'Hange’s the general manager. Moblit and his crew have the bar. Do not come in their way. They are among the busiest and even though Moblit is very nice, his minions will cut you down if you interrupt them. Sometimes, Hange or I step in when they need a break. It's usually two people handling at one time with a barback occasionally. But Hange and I prefer working alone. Oluo, as I told you, handles the servers. Listen to him. He won't come off as the smartest guy but he knows what he's doin-’ Levi cut off as he caught sight of Eren trying to balance four plates, a bowl of peanuts and a tray carrying 7 glasses. 'You are going to break everything, you clumsy oaf.’

'No, I am not.’

'I can bet 10 dollars that you will break at least five glasses.’

'Now you are making me self-conscious,’ Eren groaned, keeping the cutlery back on the table. 'You are a real Debbie Downer, you know that?’

Levi huffed out a laugh and Eren didn't know whether it was the lighting or the pleasant soft music that the band was playing as a test run but his heart skipped a beat at the sight.

'I don't know what you are talking about. I am a ray of sunshine,’ Levi deadpanned.

'Hey, Levi?’ someone called from the other side of the room. 'Eld needs you.’

Levi got off the table. 'We will continue this later when your only two brain cells aren't occupied with balancing fragile cutlery. I don't think more than two names at a time could get through your brain anyway.’

Eren watched him walk away, too preoccupied with what he had just experienced to really pay attention to his words. He was grateful for the person who called Levi away because he wouldn't have been able to respond anyway.

He was surprised to know that _that_ part of his mind hadn't stopped after these past months. He couldn't believe that with everything that had happened and everything that could happen, Levi was making his breath stop.

God knew he didn't need this right now.

 

 

After practicing for hours and still being subpar at it, Hange took pity on him and told him to carry only what he was comfortable with and to take as much time as needed. Levi, surprisingly, agreed with them but Eren suspected that it was more to save the tableware and his club’s reputation than anything else.

He met the other employees. Most of the bleary eyed college students didn't blink twice at seeing a new employee. He didn't get a chance to interact much with any of them except Ymir- a tall, dark haired, freckled server- who was made in charge of him and boy, was she not happy about it.

'No offense but you clearly have no experience. Why the fuck do I have to do this? I have nothing against you personally, Armie. I am just not getting paid enough for this shit. Okay, that's not entirely true, we get paid well enough here. But not for this shit.’

Eren nodded. 'Yeah, you are right. It shouldn't be your job. I will try to do the best I can.’

Ymir narrowed her eyes. 'Why do you have to be so goddamn nice about this? I can't even hate you with this puppy dog eyes shit.’

Eren’s eyes widened. 'Oh, I didn't realize I was doing that. Don't take it seriously. You can hate me as much as you want.’

Ymir looked heavenwards and groaned. 'Gah come on. We have shit to do.’

Eren was supposed to follow her instructions all night. Clean the tables she told him to, carry the plates and glasses that she pointed at. 'And make sure, whatever you do, do not interact with a customer unless they ask you a direct question. I will take care of that. Otherwise Oluo will have my head.’

 

It went pretty well for the most part. Eren had thought working at a nightclub would be pretty cool but instead, he spent the entire night absorbed in his job, completely ignoring the music, the alcohol and the drunken customers. Ymir was a good teacher, telling him off whenever he made any mistakes but also clearing every little doubt of his and giving him clear instructions.

Their boss, Oluo was much harder to deal with. Eren had met him just before the shift started.

'So you are Armie. Levi hired you, didn't he? With no experience beforehand? Armie, you need to know that you are not working at a McDonald's. This is not a job which can be done by any snotty-nosed teenager. This job requires precision, it requires talent and it-’

Oluo had gone on for five whole minutes, specifying just what all Eren needed to have for the job, and would have had continued rambling for more if Ymir had not finally taken pity on Eren and told Oluo that Petra was looking for him.

'What does he have against McDonald's workers?’ Eren had said, watching him walk away.

'No clue. We all have our theories. My money's on them rejecting his job application,’ Ymir had replied.

Oluo became much better during the shift after he realised that Ymir was handling Eren pretty well. Still, it didn't stop him from correcting Eren every once in a while. 'Oi, Armie boy. Don't slouch. We have a code of conduct here.’

 

The only real problem Eren had during the night was when he accidentally spilled a half-empty glass of beer on the suit of a middle-aged man.

'Oh, I am so sorry. Let me fix that for you, sir,’ Eren apologized, grabbing a couple of tissue papers from a nearby table.

'Keep your hands off me, asshole,’ the man said, his voice a tad bit louder than what Eren would have deemed necessary.

He instantly raised his hands to his sides. Apologizing again, he offered the tissues to the man. 'I am so sorry, sir. This won't happen again.’

'You are goddamn right, it won't! You ruined my suit! Don't you have any respect for your customers? Is this what they do here? Hire a bunch of incompetent assholes?’ the man yelled, his voice becoming louder with each word and now attracting the attention of a couple of people sitting nearby.

In an instant, Ymir was beside Eren. 'Sir, I apologise for any inconvenience. He is a new employee and it was an honest mistake. We, of course, will compensate for any-’

The man pointed his finger at both of them. 'I don't care! I want to speak to someone who looks older than you cunts. They will hire anyone these days. With no sense of professionalism or decency. I can't believe I-’

A calm voice interrupted him. 'Sir, I would like you to calm down. I am sure we can come to some sort of understanding.’

Eren turned to see Reiner right behind him, his face calm and his arms lightly crossed behind his back.

The man turned to him. 'I do not appreciate being spoken to this way! Do you have no sense of customer service?! This retard spills a drink on me and you cunts have the gall to turn against me?!’ he bellowed.

'Sir, of course we will compensate you for the ruined shirt. Your drinks tonight will be on us. Please settle down.’

'Stop using that tone with me and teach a thing or two to these useless idiots.’

'Sir, we do not tolerate our employees being treated this way. So I will have to ask you to either calm down or leave the premises.’

The man visibly turned red. 'WHAT?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?’

‘Please maintain your calm, sir. This is my last warning before I ask you again to leave.’

'WHAT KIND OF-’

Reiner came forward, his hands uncrossing.

The man, apparently realizing that he was fighting a losing battle against, quite frankly, a very built man, stormed off towards the exit, all the while flinging insults at any and every employee he came in contact with.

Thankfully, the band had been playing a cover of a popular song during the argument so most of the customers had been preoccupied and only a few had been able to hear the argument over the music anyway. They, too, seeing that the commotion was over went back to their drinks.

Eren turned towards Reiner and Ymir. 'I am so sorry, guys. I can't apologise enough. I will pay for anything that cost the club, of course. God, I am so sorry.’

Ymir held up her hands. 'It’s okay, Armie. Some customers are assholes. It was an honest mistake. Don't feel bad.’

Reiner nodded. 'We deal with assholes like that from time to time. Can't do much about it. Be careful from now on, though.’

Eren nodded vigorously. ‘Yep, yep I will. And thank you so much, you two, for handling that. I don't know what I would have done. I think I would have cried.’

The two chuckled. Rolling her eyes, Ymir said, 'Okay, come on, doofus. Back to work.’

 

The rest of the shift passed without incident, though Eren did crack one glass. Fortunately, it happened in the kitchen so there were no angry customers this time.  

After the shift, he got a thorough screaming from Oluo but he was too tired to care. However, he did appreciate it when at the end of his speech, Oluo said that the customer shouldn't have done that. It didn't appease Eren’s guilt but he could see that Oluo was trying to be nice. He couldn't stop repeating the events in his head, guilt pooling in his stomach.

Ymir came to him before leaving. 'Here, your share of the tip.’

'Wh-what?’ Eren didn't think he would be getting any money out of this stint.

'Tip? You know the thing which customers give us for a job well done?’

'Oh, uh, okay. Thank you,’ Eren said before accepting it. He figured that since no one knew about his situation, they didn't know that he was doing the job as repayment.

She stared at him, her eyes narrowed. 'Armie, you are weird. But I guess you are okay,’ she added with a small smile.

Eren blushed. 'Thanks. You are okay too.’

She paused before saying, 'I am gay. In case, you were getting any ideas.’

Eren's mouth dropped open. 'Oh. I was not. That’s okay.’

Smiling slightly, Ymir turned to leave but after a second's hesitation, Eren called her back.

Biting his lip, he said, 'Hi Gay, I am Bi.’ He grinned before raising his hands in a small ta-da motion.

Ymir bursted out laughing, her face scrunching up. 'That was terrible. Oh god, dad joke, really, Armie? What are we going to do with you?’

 

When it was time to leave, Eren grabbed his bag from his temporary locker, too sleepy to bother changing out of his uniform which he would have to clean anyway before tomorrow night, and went out to meet Levi. Eren had seen him only a few times during his shift. He was always either talking to someone or walking around with purpose.

Seeing Eren come out of the storage room, Levi got up from his seat at the bar and said, 'Ready to go, brat?’

Eren nodded wordlessly.

‘One night beat all the fight out of you?’  
Levi turned towards Hange, who was sitting in one of the booths with Moblit and Eld. 'You will be okay waiting for the cleaning staff to be done, right?’

They grinned. 'Of course, Levi. Now shoo, go away. Take the zombie home.’

Levi bid them goodbye, walking out with Eren in tow.

They were walking alone, the street empty in the late hour, when Levi spoke up. 'Don’t think I am not aware of what happened. You cost me a customer today, brat.’

Eren groaned and nodded. 'Yes, I am so sorry, Levi. You help me and this is how I repay you. I will pay you back for his bill, of course. Here, the tip money from today before I forget. I will give you the money for the bill when we reach the apartment. I am so sorry.’

'Shut the fuck up. I don't want your tip money. It's yours. Keep it. And I don't care about the bill. You think that's gonna compare to the hit to the club’s image?’

Eren pursed his lips, his cheeks turning red from shame. 'I didn't think about that. I am sorry. I will understand if you want to kick me out.’

'What is with you thinking that I am going to kick you out everytime? And stop apologizing. If sorry could solve everything, why would there be laws and police?’

Eren nodded, his heart sinking.

'Be careful from now on. Understand?’

Eren nodded. 'Yes.’

'Relax now. As long as you understand where you went wrong, it's okay. Shit happens. Sometimes, people are assholes. You can't do anything about it.’

Eren said nothing.

‘Besides, you owe me ten dollars.’

Eren looked sideways at Levi. His lips were barely curving upwards, but it was still there. A tiny smile.

It somehow made the guilt in his stomach lessen. If Levi of all people was smiling, it can't have been that bad, right?

'I seem to remember that you said I will break five glasses, so I think you owe me ten dollars instead,’ Eren replied, his playful side catching on.

'I think spilling beer on a customer is worse than breaking five glasses.’

Eren scoffed. ‘No, you can't trade like that. That’s not in the rules.’

'Oh, we have rules now?’

'Yes. In a gentlemen's bet, we do.’

'Take a look in the mirror before calling yourself that.’ 

They bickered like that all the way home, Eren’s heart becoming lighter with each step.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. There are things I want to explain to you guys in the notes but I also want you guys to find out on your own. I can never decide.  
> Fuck it. I will do it for harmless stuff anyway. Levi saying that line about laws and the police is a self indulgent reference to a show very close to my heart.   
> There will be more stuff coming soon. Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! While setting the date of publication of this chapter, it hit me that my exams are starting in three days. So yeah, that's how my life is nowadays. 
> 
> Anyways, it won't affect posting schedule because I procrastinated enough to write more than originally planned. 
> 
> I hope you like this chapter!

 

' _We have to run,_

_run Eren.’_

Eren woke with a start.

Rubbing his eyes, he rolled over to his side. _Just a dream, it's okay, it’s okay._

He could see light coming in through the sides of the curtains drawn shut but that didn't matter much since he had gone to bed late anyways. He checked the clock on the nightstand. 9:48 am.

Even with the dream, Eren had the most comfortable sleep since graduation. His bed was the softest thing in the world. It was like sleeping on what every kid thinks clouds feel like before 5th grade science ruins it. He didn't think he could get more comfortable if he tried.

Still sleepy, he was in no mood to get up. The work last night had tired him out and his back and feet were aching from standing and walking around all that time. He closed his eyes in an effort to go back to sleep but soon his attention was drawn to faint noises coming from the hallway.

_Why is he up this early?_

Eren tried to ignore it but curiosity killed the cat and woke him up. He got up, stretching before wearing the home slippers that Levi had urged Eren to wear while in the house. He apparently didn't want to get the dirt from the floor onto the bed. Not that the floor was dirty, at least to Eren. He could probably eat off of it and it would still be more hygienic than the utensils he used in college.

The slippers made him remember last night. It had been strange coming to Levi’s apartment conscious.

Levi had ordered him to take off his shoes at the entrance and had brought him the pair of blue cloth slippers.  
'Listen up, brat. House rules. I know you might be staying for just a night but they still apply. Ever heard the phrase 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness’? Well, God can go fuck himself. We only worship hygiene here. Wear these while inside the house. Wash the dishes you use immediately after using them. No 'I am letting them soak’ bullshit. No food crumbs on the sofa or the bed so if you have no dexterity, eat standing next to the sink. I don't wanna see any hairs or actually anything in the bathroom. No water spilled where it shouldn't be. And perfect your aim or I will cut that dick off. Got it?’

Eren hadn’t been able to stop himself from laughing, his tired state refusing to take anything seriously. 'Okay. Yeah, I appreciate a clean housemate too. Don't worry, I am generally very clean.’

Giving Eren a once-over, Levi had replied, 'I am sorry if I find that hard to believe.’

 

Remembering the jab now, Eren decided that he had to wash his clothes today. The problem wasn't that Eren didn't wash his clothes often enough. It was that he didn't have enough clothes to last him more than half a week. So he wore the same clothes again and again resulting in stains that refused to go, even with hand washing, and holes that he could do nothing about.

Making a mental note to ask Levi about the washer and dryer, Eren closed the bedroom door behind him and walked into the living room where Levi was standing next to the stove, watching the kettle placed on it like a hawk.

'Good Morning,’ Eren greeted, taking a seat at the bar. 

Levi glanced at him and grunted.

'What are you doing up so early?’ Eren asked.

'I could ask you the same thing. You have barely slept for five hours.’

'I don't need much sleep, usually,’ Eren lied, not wanting to talk about his dream.

The dream and other variations of it had been plaguing his subconscious since this all started, making Eren run on little sleep. In college, Eren was known for his ability to sleep anywhere and everywhere. His friends used to say that Eren was either sleeping or jumping about, there was no in-between. But since then, he had started sleeping less and less.

'Scientists everywhere are marvelling at this man who can break the laws of the human body,’ Levi commented dryly.

Eren narrowed his eyes. 'Okay, why aren't you sleeping then?’

'Adults don't need as much sleep as brats do.’

'I am 23. Why do you keep calling me that?’

'You really want the truth?’

'Yes.’

Levi smirked. 'Because it irks you.’

Eren glared. 'You, sir, are a schoolyard bully.’

Levi poured himself a cup of tea, not adding in anything else. 'And you are the nerd who gets shoved into lockers.’  
Taking his tea, he went to sit on the couch and switched on the TV. 'There’s extra for you, if you want.’

'I am not. I am the hero who defends the nerd against the bully and wins,’ Eren stated proudly, helping himself to the tea.

Levi snorted. 'A delusional nerd. Even more pathetic.’

Eren came to sit on the other end of the couch. Keeping his cup on the table, he said, 'Am I really the kid here when all you do is call people names?’

'Use a coaster, idiot,’ Levi snapped. 'And yes, you are a kid. One who doesn't know basic manners.’

Eren rolled his eyes. Turning to face the TV, he placed the cup on his thighs, the heat from the tea providing a comforting warmth. The opening sequence of MasterChef was playing on the screen.

Levi muted the show and looked at him. 'How did you find your bed? Comfy enough? No murderers?’

Eren blushed instantly. 'Yes, the bed was very comfortable. I had a good night's sleep.’

'So have you decided to stay here?’

‘Uh, I don't want to bother you. I can really just stay at the-’

'I don't want to hear this 'don’t want to bother me’ bullshit anymore. The only thing more annoying than your stupid face is hearing that. Make a decision based on what you want, don't drag me into this. If you are comfortable staying here, then tough luck, you are going to stay here.’

Eren protested, 'But I really don't want to intrude-’

‘Shh. Open your mouth only when you have something intelligent to say.’

Eren glared at Levi, who stared right back at him, with a blank expression on his face. The man had an amazing bitch face. He always managed to look pissed off and indifferent at the same time, with a side of condescension thrown in. Eren was sure that it must piss off a lot of people. He wouldn't be surprised to know if Levi had started entire bar fights without even opening his mouth.

They stared at each other, both refusing to back down. Finally, as an ad break started, Eren gave up. 'Fine. You win. But I still don't know why you are doing this.’

'You don't need to.’ Levi replied, his expression triumphant as he shifted his attention back to the tv.

 

***

 

'Why _are_ you doing this?’ Eld asked Levi hours later.

They had arrived at the club at around six, not needing to come in early. The afternoon had passed quite pleasantly with Eren and Levi watching TV and then Eren taking a nap later while Levi cleaned the house. Eren had made breakfast, worrying Levi at first but it turned out that the brat could make eggs, at least. And he had cleaned up after himself nicely enough, which was surprising.  
Levi had made lunch, waking him up when it was time to go. The brat had wolfed down his food like usual, getting ready in no time.

After coming to the club, Levi had gone straight to Eld’s office to go over the books with him.

Eld, his accountant and oldest friend, handled the finances. He was the only one besides Hange that Levi trusted with the reins of the club. It had been quite difficult for Levi to learn to delegate but he had to, in order to expand. Now, he couldn't imagine handling all of this without him.

'Doing what?’ Levi asked.

'Don’t play dumb. You know. Eren.’

'I am not doing Eren.’

'Oh, fuck off. I am being serious.’

'I knew telling you was a mistake. Hange is enough. I don't want you pestering me like a fly too.’

'You couldn't not tell me. I would have figured it out anyway. A new inexperienced college kid with no resume or references hired out of nowhere when we don't even need more waitstaff? I am not that stupid, Levi. Now tell me why.’

Levi sighed. 'Why does everyone keep asking me this?’

'Because it's highly unusual for anyone, let alone you. How can you trust the guy? He could be anyone. He could have robbed us. He could still rob us. He could be a conman. We don't even know if his name is really Eren.’

Levi tsked. Eld was getting on his nerves. 'It’s none of your business.’

'No. I am not taking that as an answer. Tell me you haven't gone completely crazy and give me a reason why you trust him’

'Haven’t you seen him, Eld? He's like a freaking dog. You can see it in his eyes. He can't lie for shit.’

Eld balked at the statement. 'His eyes? That’s what this is about, Levi? You have a crush on him? That's why you are doing this?’

Levi groaned. 'No, you idiot. I am just saying that you can trust the brat.’

'I can't believe you. Your brain has flushed down the toilet.’

Levi glared. 'Don’t annoy me.’

'Fine. Say you can trust the guy. Even though there is no logical reason to. What about the people who are after him? Why are you asking for trouble? I can't understand.’

'It’s only a couple of weeks tops. They don't even know he's here. If they give us too much trouble, I will kick him out. It's not like I am harbouring a fugitive.’ Actually, Levi wasn't entirely sure he wasn't harbouring a fugitive.

'This isn't a straight answer and you know it. Why go through all this trouble?’

Levi crossed his arms and stared at him.

Eld glared. 'Oh, now you refuse to talk?’

Levi rubbed his face with a sigh. 'Just trust me, Eld. You have done it before. Trust my instincts and let me do this.’

'I don't like it.’

'Good.’

Eld let out a laugh and rolled his eyes. 'Fine. I am going to trust you. But it's on you, Levi. If we get fucked over, it will be on you.’

'Fine. I will bear all your 'I told you so’s. Happy?’

'No.’

'Good.’

 

***

 

Levi kept an eye on Eren throughout the shift, his mind going back to his conversation with Eld again and again. Eld had been right. He was almost always right. That's why Levi’s uncle, Kenny had hired him in the first place. Levi hadn't seen many people who could cut through bullshit like Eld could. The man was a master of numbers, effectively handling the finances of not just the Trost branch but all four of Levi’s establishments. His judgement was something that Levi trusted. His financial expertise combined with Levi’s business acumen led them to scout out projects and investments that had worked out for them each time.  

So yes, Eld was right.

But he didn't see what Levi did. He didn't see a scared brat with no one else to turn to. He didn't see a life being destroyed. He didn't see a fire on the verge of being snuffed out before it could really burn.

He saw what all could go wrong if they helped Eren. And Levi understood that, he really did. He was more of a pessimist than almost anyone he had met. Life had made sure of that. But here, this one time, Levi saw what would _definitely_ happen if they didn't help Eren.

Levi knew that the risk was high but it always was with people like him, people like Isabel and Furlan and Levi. And Levi was many things, but he was not a coward.

So yes, Levi was wrong and Eld was right but it didn't really matter. The brat was going to get help whether people liked it or not.

 

His mind shifted to brighter thoughts as he noticed that the brat was working better than last night. Eren was a fast learner. He gelled nicely with the tall, freckled server and followed her orders to a t.  
He worked with such utmost concentration that his tongue would sometimes peek out of his mouth without him noticing, like it was doing now. It reminded Levi of a cat.

 _What an idiot,_ Levi thought, shaking his head, the sight, for some reason beyond his comprehension, making him tighten his grip around the glass of coke in his hand. _Pathetic._

'What are you staring at, Levi?’

He whipped his head around to see Hange standing next to him, where he was leaning against the wall outside the storage room. Their smile told Levi that they already knew the answer.

Levi shifted his gaze to the stage, where the DJ was playing mindless electronic music. 'Why are you so obsessed with me?’ he asked in a monotone.

They laughed. 'You are quoting Regina George without even realizing it.’

Levi scowled at them. He neither knew nor wanted to know what they were talking about.

‘I heard that the puppy spilled a drink yesterday,’ Hange said, their tone casual. Almost too casual, Levi noted.

Ignoring it, Levi replied, 'Yes, are you really surprised?’ 

'No, but I was when I heard who exactly sent Reiner to handle the situation.’

Levi rolled his eyes. _That's what the idiot is getting at._ 'You expect me to let an asshole scream at my employee for a tiny mistake?’

'Hmm, no, I wouldn't. But this is the first time I have seen you take charge of the situation. You usually let the server handle it themselves. Or wait for me or Oluo to intervene.’

Levi clicked his tongue. 'Yeah, well, you were taking too much time. I just resolved the situation before it got out of hand. Why the intense questioning?’

Hange grinned, looking awfully smug. ‘No reason.’

Levi scowled, deciding to let it go. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

The two stood in comfortable silence for a while. It was the last night of the long weekend. The crowd was smaller compared to the past two days but it was still better than an average Sunday. The club would be closed tomorrow. He would have to contend with the brat the entire day tomorrow. Unless Eren went out which didn't seem likely considering he put on his hood everytime he took one step out of the apartment.

His eyes found the brat in question again. He was getting a shouting from the freckled girl which almost made Levi smile. Almost. Glancing at Hange, he found that they were also staring at what Levi had been staring at.  
'Oi, Shitty Glasses. Do your fucking job.’

'I am doing it. I am a manager. I am managing. From afar,’ they said, wiggling their eyebrows. ‘Which reminds me, when are you leaving?’

Levi turned to face them properly. 'Eager to see me go?’

Hange smiled. 'No. But you are usually eager to go. So when's the date? And what will happen to Eren when it comes?’

'I have to go to Stohess in three weeks. I don't think Eren would be here for that long. Do you?’

'I hope so. I like him.’

Levi rolled his eyes. 'You and your sentimentality. It's barely been two days.’

'Look who’s talking.’

He scoffed. ‘Get to work, Four Eyes.’

 

When the club closed at 4am, Levi shooed Hange away, choosing to wait for the cleaning staff himself this time. They contracted an external agency for cleaning which was cheaper than hiring employees to do it. But Levi always had one of his employees wait to close the club until after they left. Many of his senior employees preferred to wait around, have a drink or some food and talk after the shift ended before the commute home so it was usually not a problem.

But sometimes, they left as soon as the shift ended and their work was done. Those nights, it was usually Hange or him waiting and if he wasn't in the city, Eld.

Tonight, he decided to wait, giving Eren the key to his apartment. But Eren refused to go, instead taking a seat beside him at the bar, watching as the cleaning staff came in.

'They must be the best in the city, to be hired by you,’ Eren said in a half-whisper.

'You are correct.’

'How do you stop yourself from breathing down their necks while they are cleaning, like you do mine?’ Eren asked, a mischievous smile on his lips.

Levi snorted. 'For one, they are not idiots. Nor do they look like they have been rolling in shit for the past year.’

'Hey!’ Eren said, offended. 'I may not look like my best right now but I will have you know that I clean up very nice.’

'Sure, brat. Whatever you want.’  
Levi breathed out slowly, looking around the club. Being here until the staff left was usually boring but he wasn't having that bad of a time today. It felt peaceful.

'I do. I look great normally!’ Eren whined.

 _Scratch that,_ Levi thought.  
The brat’s whining reminded him- 'We have to get you new clothes. How many t-shirts do you have?’

Eren’s mouth dropped open. 'What? No. You have done enough. Like seriously.’

'It’s for my peace of mind, not yours. It can't be that many if they all fit in that tiny bag of yours. And I am not having you wear the same three outfits everyday. That's disgusting. You are already wearing the uniform again.’

'I washed it before wearing it again! And all my other clothes. You have done enough, Levi. Enoughhh. I don't need new clothes.’

'Oh, you definitely do. I am not having some filthy brat in my house.’

'No. I am not letting you buy me new clothes.’

Levi glared at him. Eren glared back. They kept at it for a while.

Levi backed down first this time. 'Tch, this is childish. What about borrowing? You can borrow my shirts. Wash them thoroughly before returning them.’

Eren frowned. 'I guess so. But only if I absolutely need them.’

'Okay,’ Levi conceded.

'You are going to make me die from guilt.’

'Better than all the diseases you will get when you don't change your underwear everyday.’

Eren cringed. 'Yuck, Levi. You sound like my mom.’

'She sounds wise. You should listen to her.’

A soft smile graced Eren's face. 'Yeah, she was.’

The use of past tense didn't escape Levi. He felt a tinge in his chest and was surprised to know that he still felt empathy. He could hear his uncle's voice in his mind- _Everyone loses someone in their life. It's life, kid, you deal with it._  
He looked at Eren. The brat’s cheeks were slightly pink, his smile wistful, his brilliant eyes crinkling at the ends but full of residual sadness.

 _Yes_ , _it happens to everyone,_ Levi thought, _but that doesn't mean it hurts any less._

He cleared his throat. 'That sucks, brat. How long has it been?’

'She died when I was 11. Arrhythmia. Didn't know what that was until then.’  

Levi hummed in response, not sure what the brat would like him to say. Like most people, Levi was not good at dealing with people who were grieving. Hell, Levi was not good at dealing with emotions, period. He decided not to say anything at all and awkwardly placed his hand on the brat's shoulder, patting it slowly. Eren startled a little but relaxed once he realized what Levi was trying to do.

'It’s okay. It’s been a long time,’ he said with a smile on his face.

'Time doesn't heal shit.’

Eren thought for a second. 'True. But it does make you get used to it.’

Levi paused. 'Huh. For a brat, you are not that stupid after all.’

Eren laughed.

 

They walked home at around quarter to six. Though Trost was close to the coast and didn't get as cold as other places during this time of the year, it was still cold. Eren had his hands in his hoodie pockets, his hood pulled up while Levi had shoved his into his jacket pockets. 

Eren glanced at Levi. ’Can I ask you something?’

'No.’

'Okay, I am going to go ahead and ask you anyway.’

Levi sighed. 'What is it?’

'You said you didn't name the club. Then who did?’

'My uncle.’

‘Oh. Why?’

'Nosy brat.’

'You don't have to tell me if it's something personal.’

Rolling his eyes, Levi started explaining, 'He owned a bar called No Regrets, near Mitras. It’s an area in Trost, about ten miles from here. And yes, I know. No Regrets. Shitty name. Reminds you of one those biker dudes who tattoo it onto their chests. But the bar was famous. It wasn't in a very good part of town but it was kind of like a social joint for the people there. Every person in Mitras knew No Regrets. It had a glow up sign board and one day the 'No’ stopped lighting up. My uncle took too long to fix it. By the time he got around to doing it, people had already started calling it Regrets as a joke and it stuck. So he decided to make it stop working deliberately and change the name.’

'So he started the club?’

‘Yes and no. He had given me the reigns of the bar and since we were making good money, I wanted to expand. He agreed with my vision. I think we both wanted to get out of Mitras. So he put in his money here, taking loans too, to start this place. Asshole's only condition was that I name it Regrets.’

'And so he owns the place?’ Eren asked, confused.

‘He did before he dropped dead and passed it on to me.’

'Oh. He died. That's, uh, that's sad,’ Eren said quietly, his head down.

Levi snorted. 'Aren’t we the best at consoling people?’

Eren smiled back. 'I know right. Even though I have gone through it myself, I never know what to say.’

Levi nodded in agreement. 'For a time, I wanted everyone to treat me the same as always. So I started treating every grieving person like I would treat anyone.’

'Oh no.’

'Yep.’

'It’s a good idea in theory but..,’ Eren trailed off.

'Me treating people normally consists of calling them shitstains.’

Eren laughed.

Seeing Eren, Levi felt the muscles around his mouth twitch, threatening to break into a smile. But he didn't give in. He was _not_ going to give in.

 

***

 

Hundreds of miles away, a group of men were gathered around a large dinner table. Their boss, a short, balding man sat at the head with a phone pressed next to his ear, his attention focused on a call.

They looked at him in silence, waiting for him to be done. Sweat beaded from some of their foreheads, some took the chance to finish the glass of whiskey in front of them. It had been months and there was still no sign of the boy. Their boss was getting impatient. A lot of things were on the line.

The man ended the call, his attention returning to the group of men, who were hanging onto his every movement. 'Well? Do we know anything?’

None of them answered him. They watched one another, silently urging anyone to speak, to have something to report but no one did.

'Someone start speaking now or you all will have to answer to me.’

Finally, one man spoke up. 'No, boss. There has been nothing.’

The boss stilled. The men mentally prepared themselves. 'IT HAS BEEN FIVE MONTHS. WHERE COULD HE HAVE GONE? HOW HARD CAN IT BE TO CATCH ONE KID?’

One of the other men piped in, 'We are trying to do as much as we can. Our men are trailing his friends, Ackerman and Arlert. Though he hasn't seemed to contact them since he went missing. We have men placed at his apartment and the apartment he shared with his roommate, a certain Jean Kirstein. We even have someone at his dad’s grave. But nothing. He hasn't been anywhere.’

A black haired man nodded. He said calmly, 'We have traced his bank accounts and his previous phone numbers. We would come to know if he uses his identity anywhere in Rose.’

'Then why am I not seeing any results?!’, the boss yelled.

'We think he's not in Rose.’

'Then where is he?’

A short blonde man piped in. 'We don't know, sir.’

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW? FIVE MONTHS SINCE WE HAVE BEEN ON THIS GOOSE CHASE. WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.’

'Yes, boss,’ the blonde man replied quietly and everyone nodded along.

The boss breathed deeply. 'Do anything. Go to fucking Antarctica if you have to but bring that cunt back. Alive. We need to find him. I want an answer by the end of this month and I might not do to you what I did to the assholes who fucked this up in the first place.’ He looked at each of their faces. 'Now leave.’

The men got up, trying to pretend that they weren't hurrying out of there. The only exception was the black haired man, who walked out slowly, deep in thought.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!! Things are going to get more exciting from next chapter. 
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything. It will make my day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, It's been more time than I thought it would be. The week i have had with this fic. I grappled with some future chapters, cried to my friend and then finally wrote them the way I wanted them to be written.  
> I was scared to post this chapter because of the problems I was having with those future ones.  
> Anyways, I really hope you like it!

It had been two and a half weeks since Eren had started living with Levi. The days were passing peacefully, which worried him.

It was true that everything worried Eren at this point. But he had spent so much time double checking his every move and running as fast as he could, that this state of being at rest made him feel like a sitting duck. The lack of activity from their side only made him more suspicious.

He reasoned it out by telling himself that if they had any inkling about his location, they would have had come for him days ago but according to Reiner and Bertholdt, no one had.

So Eren shoved his worry aside like all the other emotions that left a pit in his stomach and went about his day.

His days were much better than on the run. Living with Levi was not a cakewalk but it wasn't that bad either. Like every housemate, there were both pros and cons involved. The man expected certain things in certain ways and wouldn't tolerate anything less. But Eren was happy to comply. It was the least he could do after all the help he had received from Levi.

The pros were so many that Eren would sooner be able to count the number of buns his friend, Sasha could eat in one sitting. Eren had a clean, stable place to sleep. He never had to wonder about his next meal or his next chance to rest. He didn't have to look over his shoulder at every moment. He was steadily saving up money from tips. He could go on and on.

The best thing about living with Levi though, besides the heavenly bed, was the company.

He would never admit this to anyone but he rather liked Levi’s company. The man was rude to a point where it would annoy everyone, including Eren but it only meant that Eren could reply without having any qualms of offending him. And Eren liked that. He liked their constant banter.

Talking to Levi always succeeded in distracting Eren from whatever he would be doing and he absolutely loved that fact. Nothing else worked better in grabbing and keeping Eren’s attention than his temporary housemate and he was grateful to have that at a time when he needed to get out of his mind.

 

Their days had developed into a routine. Eren would always find Levi already awake, either cooking lunch or smoking on the balcony. They would have lunch together while watching TV. Then Levi would clean the house, taking Eren’s help once in a while. Sometimes, he would go out or disappear into his bedroom, leaving Eren to his own devices. Then they would meet up and go to Regrets together.

In the first few days, Levi hadn't let him do any kind of cleaning which extended beyond washing his own dishes. He simply hadn't trusted Eren to do a good enough job.

That had finally changed on the fourth day when Eren had literally whined his way to get Levi to let him clean. The club had been closed for the second day in a row and Eren couldn't sit still. He needed something to do. His clothes were all washed, there was nothing good on TV. The only other source of entertainment were Levi’s books but Eren was not really a reader.  
He had half a mind to go out for a jog but stepping outside for something so unnecessary was not an option.

Levi had been in his bedroom all day, coming out only to grab breakfast. He finally came out again at around three in the afternoon with a mask tied around the lower half of his face. Going to the bathroom, he returned with his hands full of cleaning supplies.

'It’s cleaning day, brat. Stay out of my way and we will have no problems.’

'Everyday is cleaning day for you,’ said Eren, who was lying on the couch watching a rerun of some show he had never watched before and doodling on a notebook he had borrowed from Levi’s shelf.

'Yes. I don't understand how you _don't_ clean your house everyday. But, today is an intense cleaning day.’

Eren perked up. 'Cool. Can I help?’

'No.’

'Why not? Everytime I ask and you refuse. I showed you that I can clean properly. I do the dishes well enough.’

'No offense but the only people I have met who meet my standards are actual professionals. And then, not even all of them. There is no way in hell that I am going to let you clean.’

'How can you say that without giving me a chance? Maybe I am amazing at it and all this untapped potential is just sitting there, doing nothing all day, all because you didn't want to give me a chance.’

'Tch, not happening,’ Levi replied, putting down the broom and the mop on the floor, and the rest of the supplies on the countertop of the breakfast bar. Eren spotted a pair of yellow gloves and more than three different types of cleaner.

'But Levi, you are helping me so much. The least I can do is keep your house clean,’ Eren said, trying to meet Levi’s eyes but he had already moved to the cupboard next to the main door and was busy taking out a vacuum cleaner.

'You can do that by letting me do my job.’ Levi retorted, his back to Eren.

'But, I can-’ he was interrupted by the noise of the vacuum cleaner, switched on, no doubt, to drown out his voice.

'Give me a chance,’ Eren tried saying, but the vacuum cleaner was too loud. 'Come on, Levi. Let me help.’

No reaction.

Eren narrowed his eyes. He stared at Levi, as pointed a gaze as he could make it. He imagined his stare hitting him like daggers. He was not about to lose to a vacuum cleaner.

Minutes passed. Levi ignored him, thoroughly vacuuming every part of the living room. Eren knew Levi could feel the stare, evident from the slight tightening of his shoulders and his back straightening just enough. He could pretend all he wanted but Eren's stare bothered him. Eren just had to wait and watch.

Done with the living room, Levi moved to the kitchen and Eren followed, eyes on him the entire time. Levi gave no reaction other than a sigh.

Levi moved down the corridor to Eren's bedroom, Eren trailing behind him slowly. As Levi vacuumed the last corner of that room, they both knew that there was only one place left.

Levi moved slowly towards his bedroom, dragging the vacuum cleaner behind him. Eren followed him with a small smirk.

His hand on the doorknob, Levi looked back at Eren and finally acknowledged his existence with a defeated sigh.

Eren's smirk changed into a full blown smile as Levi walked past him back into the living room. He saw him go back to the supplies and the next thing he knew, there were a pair of yellow gloves flying his way.

He brought his hands to his face, narrowly avoiding the gloves from hitting him.

He looked at Levi who held up a finger. 'You get one chance. One.’

Eren whooped. 'Yes! I won't disappoint you.’

And Eren had made sure he didn't. They had cleaned together, scrubbing every inch of the place until Eren was sure he would never get the smell of the cleaner out of his head. He had fucked up a couple of times, duly receiving a scolding from Levi each time.  
But Eren hadn't backed down.

All his life, Eren Jaeger had been known for being the most stubborn piece of shit to exist which he preferred to think of as determination.  
He didn't know how it had happened but these past few months, he had let that determination subside a little. He had let fear overtake his determination somewhere along the way.  
So it had been nice to feel his determination come back in full force while helping Levi clean. He was going to impress Levi, no matter what it took. And he had. Or at least what Levi’s version of being impressed had been.  
Levi had grunted at the end of that day, conceding, 'I will let you do this not because I give a fuck about you or your internal guilt but because you whine too much.’  
It had made Eren smile.

 

His nights were fun too, if not a little tiring. Ymir was a delight to work with, even with her done-with-your-shit attitude. Or maybe because of that. Even though it had just been half a month since Eren had started working there, he felt like they had become good friends already. They played that game where they guessed about their customers’ lives whenever they had time to catch a breath. Some of Ymir’s commentary about their customers were the funniest things Eren had heard. Other times, they talked about their lives where Eren tried to stay as close to the truth as he could without endangering both her and himself.

He had learnt that Ymir was majoring in botany and needed the cash like so many others to make it through college. She only had her mom for family, who owned a flower shop and who Ymir loved a lot. Watching her mom had inspired her interest in plants. He had also learnt that she was also very opinionated which didn't always go well with Eren’s stubbornness but they always ended up respecting each other's right to have a dumbass opinion, as they called it.

Eren never really had a problem making friends and he didn't have one here. The staff had warmed up to 'Armie’ and he had started liking working there. Petra and Moblit were always kind to him and Hange was always entertaining. Oluo didn't stop bitching but Eren was starting to respect him. It was easy to see why Levi had hired him. He was very good at his job, handling customers and his employees with ease. Though it didn't seem from first appearances that he would be a good people person, he actually was. He was also very good at coordinating the jobs of the kitchen staff and the wait staff, making sure there were no kinks in the machinery.

Levi remained as elusive as ever during shifts. He only ever talked to Eren before and after, never during. Eren had formed a habit of sneaking glances at him and then mentally cursing himself everytime he did it. He lived with the man, for fuck's sakes. He didn't need to see him more than he already did. But he still couldn't stop himself.

Levi treated him the same as any other server, talking only when necessary. So, even though it was completely stupid, Eren couldn't help but feel special when at the end of the shift, Levi would sit at the bar, waiting for Eren so that they could leave together.

The only time of his day that Eren didn't like was when he went to sleep. Sometimes, his body would be too tired and would quickly succumb to slumber. Other less fortunate times, even though his body would crave sleep, his mind would be wide awake, racing.

It was during these times when it would all come back to Eren, the silence of the night doing nothing to distract him. Dozens of thoughts would race through his mind at once and Eren would think about everything that he avoided thinking about: the job that he should have started back in July; his apartment in Shiganshina; Mikasa, Armin and all his other friends; whether his friends were in danger because of him; whether there was any possible end to this; whether he would ever see them again; whether he would ever be back in Shiganshina; whether he would ever live a normal life again; what would he do when he left this place and inevitably ran out of money.

And then in his weakest moments when not even the sounds of the clock on his nightstand or the occasional honk of cars out on the street could distract him, he would think about his dad.

He would finally fall asleep exhausted, waking up sometimes to an anxiety attack. He would try to keep it to himself. But he knew that he was too loud sometimes because Levi would be there, knocking on his door and coming in silently.  
'It’s okay, brat. Breathe breathe. Deep slow breaths. With me, come on, one, good. Two, yes. Three. It was a nightmare, nothing else. You are safe here. Breathe, breathe with me.’  
It would help sometimes and sometimes not. But Levi would be there regardless, waiting for Eren to come back.

 

***

 

The black haired man took a sip of gin and kept the glass back on his table. ‘So what you are telling me is that you might have seen Jaeger in Trost?’

The brown haired boy standing in front of him gulped. 'Yes, we chased a kid and it looked like Jaeger but we figured that there would be no way he would be in Trost.’

The black haired man raised an eyebrow. 'So what? You just gave up?’

'No, we chased him but he, uh, he disappeared.’

'And then you gave up?’

The boy hesitantly nodded.

'And when was this?’

The boy’s companion, a blond kid about the same age, replied, 'Around two weeks ago.’

 _Idiots, these fucking idiots,_ the black haired man thought.  
'And you two have been sitting on this for two weeks? Give me one logical reason why’

'We didn't think he was Jaeger. What are the chances we would run into him in Trost?’

'Why come to me now?’

The brown haired one gulped again. He hesitated before saying, 'Your instructions yesterday.’

The black haired man sighed. He rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'I want the exact details of where you saw him and what you did.’

His men had been sitting on this for two weeks and didn't think to tell him. He was irritated by how much time had passed and didn't want to think about how far Jaeger could have travelled in this time. But on the plus side, it was the first lead they had had on the boy in weeks. He was thankful that his little speech yesterday to his men about coming forward with even the most insignificant details had gotten through these numbnuts’ heads.

Now he could just wait and hope that Jaeger was still there or had at least slipped up and left a clue to his next location.

***

Eren could almost feel the hands of the clock hanging over him like the sword of Damocles. He had been living with Levi for two and a half weeks already. He didn't know how long Levi would allow him to live with him. It was supposed to be a temporary situation. Eren hadn't expected himself to stay there for more than two days, let alone more than 15.

They hadn't said anything to each other but Eren knew that he had to say something fast. Even if he hadn't overstayed his welcome, Eren couldn't just live in a guy's guest room until all of this was over. He didn't even know when it would be over or if it would be over.

He woke up early that day, resolved to talk to Levi. It was a fine Tuesday morning, the early morning sun peaking through the curtains. Regrets was closed today and had been closed yesterday too. He had nothing lined up except laundry and didn't think Levi had anything either. It was the perfect day to talk to him.

He got up, stretching. Putting on his slippers, he left his room, listening for any signs of movement but there was nothing. _Huh. I woke up first for once._

He walked into the empty living room, checking the balcony as he walked by. He backtracked when he saw Levi leaning against the railing with a phone in one hand and a cigarette in another.

He hadn't noticed him yet and Eren took that opportunity to study him. His side profile was visible. His brow was slightly furrowed but otherwise his face was devoid of emotion. The wind was lightly blowing his hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black sweatpants, complete with a pair of black slippers.

He took a drag of his cigarette, listening to the person on the other end of the call. The whole scene could be out of a magazine.

Eren idly wondered what demon did someone have to sell their soul to look this good this early in the morning.

He shut his thought process pretty quick after that.

He moved to the kitchen, getting the kettle out of the cabinet to make them some tea. He had never really been much of a tea drinker before but living with Levi had changed that pretty quick. The man would drink tea four to five times a day and Eren was not really the type to refuse when offered.

He had just put the kettle on the stove when Levi came out of the balcony. 'Up so early, brat? Good. We have errands to run.’

Eren tensed up. 'What errands?’

'Errands errands. We have to go to the bank then meet our supplier and lastly, do grocery shopping. I do the first two and you do the last.’

Eren didn't go out more than walking to the club from Levi’s apartment and back. He didn't want to risk anything.

'Uh, can I stay at home and do house chores instead?’ he asked.

Levi pursed his lips. 'It has been almost three weeks, brat. If they knew you were here, they would have come already.’

Eren nodded weakly. 'But they could still be out there.’

'You said you were not from here. Are they from here?’ Levi asked point blank.

Eren hesitated. _It can't hurt to tell him, right?_

'No, they aren't. They aren't even from this state. They operate only in the major cities of Paradis, the state where I am from. I think it was just a coincidence that we ran into each other. But I can't be sure.’

Levi stared at him. 'Wait. Are you telling me that you are that stupid that you ran into the very people you are running from in a completely different state?’

Eren blushed. 'It was a coincidence,’ he mumbled.

Levi groaned. 'What kind of an idiot have I saddled myself with?’

'It wasn't my fault! Well, not fully my fault.’

Levi looked skeptical. He sighed before saying, ‘What matters now is that they don't know you are here. If they knew, they would have come back to the club, the last place they saw you at. But they haven't. None of the people you described or the two idiots I saw. So that means you are safe to venture outside.’

Eren gulped. Levi’s argument was sound. It was what Eren had been telling himself too but it still terrified him. 'I- I guess.’

'There is no logical reason why they would be here, brat. Especially if their presence doesn't stretch to Trost. You are just going grocery shopping. I doubt even you will be able to harm yourself on a shopping trip.’

Eren could do this. He couldn't stay inside forever. Hell, he couldn't stay with Levi forever. He needed to leave soon. A trip to the grocery store was nothing compared to what Eren had done and what he would need to do after he left from here.

He glanced at Levi who was taking the forgotten kettle off the stove. He watched as the man poured himself a cup of tea and another for Eren, adding milk and two teaspoons of sugar.

He needed to talk to Levi about _it_. He couldn't stall forever. _After coming back. I will do it after coming back._

'Your daily diabetes,’ Levi said, handing him his cup. ‘So are you coming or not?’

‘Sorry if I like some taste with my leaf water.’ Eren said, defensively. Ignoring Levi's eye roll, he added, 'But, yeah. I will come.’

 

 

Turns out Levi had a car. They were in the building’s garage. Levi had unlocked his Range Rover SV Autobiography and Eren had a mini heart attack.

'What? Never seen a car before?’

Eren asked, his eyes wide, 'How the fuck? How rich are you?’

Levi narrowed his eyes. 'You are polite.’

'I am sorry but wow.’

Levi sighed, opening the door to get into the car. 'Get in.’

'Okay, I have a very rude question,’ Eren said, climbing in.

Levi sighed. 'Why do I live in that apartment if I have money?’

Eren nodded.

‘I rented that when Regrets had just started and I never moved out. I bought it from my landlord when Regrets started making money.’

This guy had serious money. Eren knew people who were still working to pay off their students loans well into their thirties. Hell, he himself was going to be paying his student loans till then.

'Gotta get myself in the nightlife business,’ he murmured.

Levi snorted. 'It's just nepotism, brat. My uncle funded most of it, through his own money and through loans. I was just lucky enough that the old bastard thought of me before dying.’

Eren frowned. ‘But you still made it to what it is today.’

‘It’s not that hard. Money makes the world turn but it’s not a measure of people's worth or effort. Those who have it don't necessarily deserve it.’

Eren mulled it over. 'That's true. But sometimes they do. Sometimes it's okay to be proud about what you have achieved.’

Levi tsked. 'You think I could achieve this if I didn't have money already? Anyone can do this. We don't start out in this world equal so it's not really fair to celebrate something when I have been given more tools than others.’

Eren pursed his lips but chose to remain silent, not quite sure how to reply.

 

They went to the bank together. Eren sat at the waiting area while Levi went in and finished his work. Next, the two drove to what looked like a farmer’s market. There were stalls on either side of the road, filled with fruits, vegetables and even flowers, of all colours and sizes.

'Here,’ Levi said handing Eren a list and a big cloth bag. 'Buy the produce from here and there's a supermarket called Titan in the next block. You can find the rest there. Buy exactly what's written. Money’s in the bag. I have to talk to our supplier. Their office is near here. When I am done, I will meet you at the store. Don't wander off somewhere else.’

Eren rolled his eyes. 'I am not a child.’

'Could have fooled me. Now get out.’

With a huff, Eren got out of the SUV. He made sure his hood was in place over his head and made his way to the stalls.

Eren was not an expert in cooking by any means but if there was one thing he knew, it was how to pick the right fruits and vegetables. He used to go to the farmer’s market with his mom when she was still alive. From a young age, she had taught Eren about the different types of fruits and vegetables. Eren had tried to continue the tradition after she had died with his dad but he hadn't been very interested. So Eren had started coming with Armin and Armin’s grandfather, the two of them dragging Mikasa along too.

He still remembered every trick his mother had taught him and the tips Armin’s grandfather had given them. So he felt right at home in the market, quickly going through the list. He made sure that the tomatoes were ripe and not wrinkled; the carrots, cabbages and potatoes were firm; and that the broccoli had firm stalks and tight florets. The bananas he chose were slightly green, the apples were deep red and firm, the kiwi fruits were not too hard to the touch and the grapes were without any wrinkles or brown spots.

Finally, with his bag laden with produce, he started walking towards the supermarket.

Shifting his weight to balance the bag against his hip, he stopped at a street crossing to wait for the signal to turn green. He was wondering whether he should go over the shopping list now itself and save time when he would reach the supermarket, when his eyes fell on two men clad in black walking on the other side of the street. They noticed him at the same time he did them. The recognition in their eyes confirmed Eren's suspicion. They were one of _them_.

For a moment, everything was still. The two parties stood frozen, looking at each other from across the street, not quite believing their luck.

Then, the bag fell from Eren's hands with a loud thud, the fruits and vegetables spreading everywhere on the sidewalk.

The moment broke and Eren ran.

 

***

Levi was tired. Their supplier, Eldian Beverage Distributing, had been delivering erratically for the past month. Their deliveries often came in too late. It didn't affect their business that much, their stock levels were always just above consumer demand to make sure they had enough even on the busiest nights while not letting any of it go to waste. But it sure made things harder. Levi and Hange could do without worrying about whether they would be short on stock anytime soon.

Levi knew most of the regular delivery men. They were nice, honest men who took their job very seriously. On confronting them, Levi had realised that the problem was coming from the main centre. So that’s why, Levi had visited their office today. But their boss had joked the entire time, brushing away Levi’s concerns with shallow reassurances.

Levi had kept his mouth shut, knowing Hange would kill him if he ruined their relations with one of the only distributors in Trost who supplied the largest variety of liquor. But they couldn't function like this.

He would give them another week to get their shit together. If they couldn't, he would make sure Hange starts contacting other suppliers.

He drove to the supermarket after the meeting, idly wondering if Eren was done with shopping yet. His day off was already ruined from meeting with the supplier. He just wanted to get Eren and go home.

He was one block away from the market when his gaze was drawn to a bag lying on the sidewalk, with fruits and vegetables strewn about it.

He stilled as he recognized the bag. _Eren._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it, or did not like it, I suppose, with that ending.  
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything at all. I would greatly appreciate them.  
> The next chapter will be up soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter is a little longer than what I usually write. I just had to fit in everything in this, it wouldn't have worked otherwise. So like, brace yourself, I guess.   
> Also, it still blows my mind that you guys actually want to read this. Thank you. 
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter!

‘Hange, I need you to go to the club right fucking now.’

'Hello?’ the voice on the other line said. ‘Levi? What happened?’

‘It’s Eren. I think they caught him. Or they are about to. I don't know. I need you to go to the club, in case he shows up there. Get Reiner or someone to go with you.’  

'What? Oh fuck, okay, Levi. I will be right there. Where are you?’

'Don’t go alone. Take someone with you. I am gonna search for him.’ He hung up, tossing his phone on the passenger seat.  
He had been driving for the past thirty minutes, looking around for any sign of Eren. There was no way he would have left that bag in the middle of the sidewalk unless he either saw them coming or got caught. Levi hoped it was the former, that the brat had at least gotten the chance to run.  
Either way, it meant that those men were here, in Trost. Eren had told him that they weren't originally from here so there was a good chance that they were here for Eren. Then why wait this long? Why not show up at the club weeks before?    
Levi groaned, clutching the steering wheel.  
_What have you gotten yourself into, brat?_

 

***

 

Eren ran. His breath caught and his sides pained and his heart raced and he still ran. He could almost feel them, close behind him, mere inches away. His neck tingled, a phantom hand gripping him in his mind's eye.

He ran as fast as he could, covering block after block. He could hardly make sense of where he was going. When he had first met Levi, it had just been two days since he had set foot in Trost. He knew nothing about this city, no clue which area he was in, let alone how to get back to Levi's apartment. Besides, he couldn't go back to the apartment with gangsters on his tail.

He didn't know if the men were on foot or in a vehicle but he figured that if they had been in a vehicle, they would have caught up to him already.

He could hide in an alley and try to lose them but he would first need to be sure that they wouldn't see him going in like last time. He couldn't afford to run into a dead end now.

He dared to glance behind him, slowing down a little. He could only see one of them, following Eren from quite far behind. Eren tried looking for the other one but didn't see anyone else running.  
_Where are you?_ He was elated to know that he had lost one of them and that the other one was not as close as he had expected but what if this was a trick? What if they were going to ambush him? What if they had called for backup? He wouldn't be able to outrun an entire horde of gangsters. He needed to lose them _now._  

He turned the next corner, coming onto a small residential street, lined on either side with short brick buildings. They were packed closely together with barely enough space for one man to pass through between them. The small space, most probably, lead to dead end backyards. He could see potted plants lining up the doors, clothes hanging from the windows and fire escapes attached to the sides.

Eren watched as an old man walked up to one of the buildings and opened the main door with his key.  
Making a quick decision, Eren ran towards him and shouted, 'Hold up. Coming through.’

He forced himself to slow down to a half jog as the old man turned to look at him, his hand holding the door open.

'Thank you,’ Eren grinned as he passed through the doorway, hiding his shaking hands in his hoodie pockets. ‘Went out for a cigarette run and forgot my keys.’  
He glanced around the lobby, noting the numbers on the postboxes, the out-of-order lift and the stairs.   

The old man nodded. 'Happens with me too. Annoys my wife every time she has to buzz me in. You live alone?’

Eren felt sweat dripping down his neck. He hoped that the man didn't notice his shaky voice as he tried to control his panting. 'Nope. A roommate. He's home now thankfully.’

'That's good then. Can't say I have seen you before. Where do you live?’ the man asked as they climbed the stairs together.

'3A. We keep very odd hours, juggling both university and jobs so I am not surprised that we haven't met before.’

The old man hummed. 'Yes, that must be it. I don't go out much either.’ As they reached the first floor, he added, ‘Well, this is my floor.’

Eren's knees went weak with relief. He didn't know what he would have done if the man had any clue who lived in 3A. He put on a smile. 'It was nice to meet you.’

The old man nodded and offered his hand. 'You too, young man.’

Eren shook his hand and watched the man trudge back to his house.  
He climbed two more floors and then sunk down to the steps of the staircase.

The anxiety attack that he had been trying to ignore reared its ugly head as he considered his situation. He tried to breathe long and hard, remembering the way Levi had taught him. _One, breathe. Two, breathe. Three._

He couldn't stay here. It would only be a matter of time before a resident saw him and figured out that he didn't live here. His plan was to hide out on the roof, assuming it wasn't locked. Or worst case, hide on the staircase leading to the roof. Anything to avoid being out in the open.

His chest felt like someone had put an anvil on it. He couldn't afford an anxiety attack right now. He had to get to a safe place. He slowly got up, supporting his weight on the railing. Step by step, he began his climb.

_Four, breathe._

_Five, yes, slowly, brat._

_Six, breathe._

He finally reached the roof, after climbing four floors, on his 44th breath. He almost cried on finding the door unlocked.

He slowly crossed the length of the roof to sit on the concrete floor next to some discarded pipes, with his back to the parapet. His anxiety attack was still there, lingering behind the surface but it had died down enough for Eren to be able to think and analyze.

He didn't have anything else to do but wait. The sun rose up in the sky, refusing to go down. Eren assumed it was somewhere after noon. He laughed a little at the prospect. He couldn't believe that the entire day was still left to go. The day hadn't even properly began and yet, here Eren was, sitting in the terrace of a strange building, hiding from his would-be captors, when mere hours ago, he had been drinking tea with Levi.

 _Levi._ Eren hoped he was safe. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Levi. The man had been nothing but kind to Eren. Even though he wouldn't show it, it was obvious from his actions that he genuinely wanted Eren to be safe and only wanted to help him.

Most probably, Levi must have noticed the bag of groceries and figured out what had happened. Knowing him, Eren was positive that he must have gone home, waiting for Eren to show up there.  
_As long as he doesn't do anything stupid._  

Guilt spread through Eren like ugly, black tar as images of his benefactor being harmed played through his mind. He realised that he couldn't do this to Levi. He couldn't put someone through so much danger, let alone someone who had done so much for him. He couldn't keep living off of Levi's generosity, waiting for the day when they finally come, harming Levi in the process. He didn't know what he would do if Levi got caught up in this. The thought of it alone made him feel restless.

 _How the hell did I let this carry on for so long? Why the fuck did I not leave before? Why did I even accept his help? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._  
Eren cursed himself. He should have talked to Levi before this. He should have never stayed for this long. He should have never stopped in the first place.

It became clear to Eren what he had to do. If he made it out today alive, he would leave Trost. He wouldn't place Levi in danger anymore. This was Eren's mess to handle. He would not drag anyone else into it. Whatever happened, it would happen to him and him alone.

This new resolve gave him a much-needed direction to follow in his mess of a life. He had been surrounded by such chaos since this all started that he now welcomed any sense of motive with open arms.  
But the decision also saddened him. He had liked living here. He didn't want to leave, not the place, not the safety and especially, not the people.    
_If I can ever live normally again, if I am ever free, I will come back here._

 

***

 

Hange, Reiner and Eld had been waiting at Regrets for a little more than four hours when they arrived.

There weren't many, about five of them. They entered the club in a procession: two in the front and three behind them. Besides the all-black clothes and the sense of arrogance radiating from them, there was nothing that would have made Hange recognize them as gang members, if they had not already been aware of their existence.

Reiner elbowed Hange on the side. He subtly nodded towards the two in the front and Hange understood: they were the same ones Levi and Eren had described.

The two were young, maybe even younger than Eren, and had slicked back hair, one blonde and the other brown haired. They seemed to be in charge by the way they stopped at the centre of the room, while the rest spread through the club.

Hange stepped forward from their place at the bar. 'Can I help you?’

The brown-haired one answered, 'Yes, we are looking for someone.’

He nodded at one of the other men who came forward with a photo on his phone. A photo of Eren.

Hange peered at it. 'Can't say I have seen him before. Have you?’ They looked at Eld and Reiner.

Both of them shook their heads.

‘He passed through this area around three weeks ago, on the night of 23rd November,’ the blonde one explained. 'He was wearing a green jacket and his hair was longer than in the photo. His name is Eren Jaeger but he might have adopted a pseudonym.’

Hange gestured towards Reiner. 'My head of security is the one who controls who enters or leaves the club.’

Reiner nodded and looked at the picture more closely. ‘Never seen this kid before.'

The blonde guy narrowed his eyes. 'How can you be so sure?’

Reiner looked at him head on. 'It is my job to know every person who enters this club. And he never did. 23rd November was a busy night, the start of a long weekend. We were also hosting special clients that night. So I personally screened every person who came here.’

'Yes, but he never came through the main door. We chased him to a back alley where one of your employees was there, smoking.’

'Can you describe that employee?’ Hange asked.

'Short, very short, white guy. Black haired, doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut,’ the brown haired man answered.

‘You have to be more specific,’ Hange lied. They turned towards Reiner and Eld. 'Do you know who is he talking about?’

Both of them shrugged and shook their heads.

The brown haired man's hand went to his jacket. 'Don't play games with us if you know what's good for you.’

'If you want, come here tomorrow,’ Eld suggested, 'The club would be open and our employees would be here. You can talk to that employee then and any other that you might want.’

They eyed the three of them, no doubt, trying to figure out if they were telling the truth. The blonde one then called the other boy near him.  
The two started talking in lowered tones. Hange watched them but couldn't discern anything.

Finally, the two boys turned towards them. The blonde one nodded. 'We will be here tomorrow. Make sure all your employees are present.’  
And with that they walked out, in the same order as they had come.

  
  


***

 

Eren waited there till sundown, checking the neighborhood regularly for any signs of them. His vantage point gave him a wide view and hid him from any unfriendly eyes at the same time.

It had been hours since he had spotted any of them and his stomach had started grumbling. An hour into being there, Eren had seen a car passing by slowly through the main street. Through the rolled down windows, he had been able to catch sight of two men in black, scanning the neighborhood. But they hadn't turned the corner into his block. That meant the man following him had not seen him turn the corner after all. They had come back two more times within a span of two hours but nothing since then.

He couldn't stay there forever. With night settling in, it was his best chance to get away. He could ask for directions back to Regrets and find his way back to Levi's apartment from there. But they were most probably circling Regrets, the last place they had seen him in Trost, besides the street crossing. He had enough money on himself to leave the city. But his bag was still there at the apartment. He used to carry his bag everywhere but since coming here, he had become comfortable enough to start leaving it. The bag had all his essentials, the rest of his money and also his jacket. He couldn't leave it.

He also couldn't leave without giving Levi an explanation. And just, without seeing him for the last time. If Eren was being honest with himself, he didn't want to leave Levi. Living in Trost, liking it here wasn't about the bed, the comfort or the steady tips.  
It was about Levi.  
He liked being around Levi, the first person he had really talked to in months. And he didn't want to lose that. So, if he had to go, he wanted to at least say bye to what he would be losing, who he would be losing.

He decided to take the risk. He would try finding the apartment without going near the club but if he had to, he was willing to risk going near it to get his bag and see Levi one last time.

 

Eren finally found his way to the apartment almost an hour and a half later, with some help from a young couple on the street who had given him directions to Regrets.

Eren had walked slowly, taking precautions to make sure that no one recognized him. Thankfully, he hadn't met any of the men on his way. He hadn't gone near the club, instead finding the street that Levi and he used on their daily commute when he was near enough. It had taken a while to get the street right and he had to ask a couple more strangers, describing the locality of the apartment, but he had reached safely.

Now, standing before the door to Levi's apartment, he rang the bell and waited. No answer. He rang the bell again. When it became obvious that no one was home, he sank down to the floor, his back resting against the door.

 

He didn't realize when he had fallen asleep but the next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake.

'Oi, brat. Brat. Wake up.’

He opened his eyes to see Levi kneeling next to him, his hands on Eren's shoulders. His eyes raked over Eren's body.

'Are you injured?’ he asked.

Disoriented, Eren didn't answer. He looked around, remembering his circumstances.

Levi's hands moved from his shoulders to cup his face. He held Eren's head in place, forcing him to meet his eyes.

‘Are you injured anywhere? I need you to answer,’ he asked again, his words slow and clear.

Eren shook his head, his eyes still on Levi's. Relief flooded through him on seeing Levi safe and sound. _Oh thank God. Oh thank God._

Levi sighed and closed his eyes. 'Okay, good. Good.’

He opened his eyes and looked at Eren again, his eyes soft. 'Can you stand up? We need to get you inside.’

Eren nodded slowly.

They sat like that for a moment, silently looking at each other before Levi seemed to realise that his hands were still holding Eren's face. He withdrew hurriedly, standing up and patting down his pants where it had touched the floor.

Eren stood up, his face burning where Levi had touched him. He stepped aside, allowing Levi to unlock the door and then followed him in.

He was so happy to be back here, even if it was for the last time. Putting on his slippers, he moved to the sofa but decided against sitting on it. He had spent the entire day sitting among discarded pipes and dust. He should shower first.

Levi returned from the kitchen, carrying a glass of water. He set it down on the coffee table and pushed Eren lightly towards the couch. 'Sit.’

Eren hesitated. ‘I should shower first.’

Levi raised his eyebrows. 'If you want to, go ahead. I am surprised you don't want to get some rest first. It's been a long day.’

‘But, but your couch.’ Eren pointed to his dust covered clothes.

Levi rolled his eyes. 'You really think I care about that right now? Sit, asshole.’

He sat hesitantly, on the edge of the seat, careful not to get too much dirt on it.

Levi sighed again and sat down beside him. ‘Stop being stupid.’

Eren gave up, letting his body melt into the couch and making a mental note to clean it before going.

Levi fiddled with his phone for a moment, typing something Eren couldn't see. Then, keeping his phone aside, he handed him the glass of water. 'Drink. You remind me of you from three weeks ago.’

Eren gulped it down in one go. ‘Thank you,’ he said, placing the empty glass on the table. 

‘I can already guess what happened but how did you escape?’

Eren bit his lip. ‘I saw them at a street crossing and ran. I hid out in the roof of a building. They didn't see me go in. They made the rounds a few times around the neighborhood but didn't check individual buildings.’  
He sighed, running his hands through his hair as he continued, 'I was lucky. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. I can't believe that I escaped.’

Levi stared at him. ‘Couldn’t you go to a fucking payphone and call me, idiot?’ 

'I didn't dare come out till after the sun had set. And uh-’

‘What?’

'I didn't remember your number.’

Levi groaned. 'How the fuck have you survived for this long?’

'Hey! I found my way back on my own.’

Levi shook his head. 'I am gonna get you a cellphone first thing tomorrow.’

Eren stilled. The time had come. He had to talk to him. ‘Levi, I think it's time for me to leave.’

Levi looked at him, his brow furrowed.

'I have been staying here for far too long. I should have been gone days ago. Hell, I should have never stayed in the first place. I was going to talk to you today anyway about overstaying my welcome. But now, after what happened, I realized exactly how big of an idiot I am. I can't let you get in the middle of this.’

‘You have told me this before. And I have told you that I don't mind getting in the middle of this. I know what I am doing,’ Levi said.

'But you don't. You don't know what you are getting into and I am an asshole for doing that to you.’ Eren stood up in frustration and started pacing around the room. 'I am an asshole and a liar who took advantage of your kindness. I lied, okay, I lied. There's no ex. It's much more dangerous and I can't have you getting involved.’

Levi glared at him, still seated on the sofa. 'You really think I am that stupid, brat? I know that there's no ex. You really think everyone is as stupid as you?’

Eren stopped pacing, stunned. 'You, you know?’

Levi rolled his eyes. 'Yes. It's not that hard to figure out. You are not a good liar.’

'You knew and you are still helping me? What? Why?’

Levi paused before shrugging. 'You are pathetic enough to waste my time over.’

It was Eren's time to glare. ‘Stop messing around. I am asking a serious question.’

‘I told you to stop asking me why. Why the fuck can't you be content with just knowing that I am helping you?’

'Because it doesn't make sense.’

Levi glared.

Eren crossed his arms. 'Fine. Don't tell me. It doesn't change the fact that I have to leave.’

Levi dropped his glare, instead softening his expression. ‘How about you tell me what kind of mess you are in and then let me decide whether I want to get involved or not.’

Eren paused and considered it. He could really tell Levi the truth. He considered revealing it- his story. But whatever he came up with fell short of the actual truth of it. It wasn't that it was overly complicated. He didn't know how to say it, how to put it into words, the stuff he had kept inside for months. 'It's a long story and I don't really know much more than you do.’ 

'What the fuck does that mean?’

'It, uh, it. Look, all I know is that it has something to do with my dad,’ he said, increasing his pacing.

'Your dad?’

'Yeah.’ Eren pursed his lips. He didn't know how to say it and if he was honest, he also didn't want to say it. Having held the truth so close to his heart, he felt oddly protective of it. He had wanted to talk to someone for so long and he still did but now he didn't know if he could do it. He walked from one end of the room to the other and back, his body restless.

Reaching the end again, he turned around, only to find Levi standing in front of him.  
'Hey. Hey. Stop stressing yourself out. You are going to burn a hole through the carpet. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, okay?’ Levi said in a low, careful voice. He offered his hand. ‘Come, sit.’

Eren stared at the hand for a moment. Nodding, he slowly took it and allowed Levi to lead him back to the sofa. Eren was embarrassed to find out that even with everything happening, his attention was completely seized by their joined hands, his worries being temporarily shoved aside.

He couldn’t help but notice that Levi's hand was cold to the touch and though he was smaller than Eren, his fingers were long and slim, almost the size of Eren's. _I am not going to think of something sappy. I am not going to think of how perfectly it fits or some bullshit. I am not._  
Though he had to admit that his hand felt strangely empty when Levi released his hold.

After they were both seated, Levi stated, 'You don't have to leave. I can deal with whatever comes.’

Eren sat up. ‘No. I do. I need to. I am going to leave Trost and I am sorry for putting you in danger. I don't know how I can thank you for all of this. Maybe, one day, if I have a normal life, I will come back. But now-’ 

Levi's phone rang, the loud, shrill sound startling them both. Levi looked at the Caller ID. Hange.

Eren could see him hesitate. ‘Take it. It might be important,’ he insisted.

Giving him a look, Levi finally picked up the call on the third ring.

Eren could hear the voice on the other end but could not decipher any words. So he contented himself with watching Levi's expressions.

'What did they want?’ He heard Levi ask.

He watched as Levi's brow furrowed deeper. He recognised Hange saying his name a couple of times.

'Yeah, he's here. Yeah, he's okay. Okay, Hange, you guys go home. It's been a long day. I will handle it.’  
Levi hung up after a last reply from the other end.

'Well?’ Eren asked immediately.

'Impatient brat,’ Levi murmured half-heartedly.

'Tell me.’

‘They said that a group of men came to the club asking for you. Hange and the others handled it pretty well. They pretended to have never seen you before but they will be back so you can't go there again.’

 _They went to the club?_ Eren stood up. ‘They talked to Hange? They know Hange now? Fuck. Fuck.' The piece of information set him in motion, his feet carrying him to his bedroom.

'I have to leave.’ He grabbed his backpack, stuffing in his jacket and idle clothes lying around the room.  Levi, who had followed him, watched silently from the doorway.

Done with the room, Eren moved past him into the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush, stuffing it in the bag too. 'I am sorry for doing this to you guys. Fuck. I am sorry. I should have never come here. Can you please say goodbye to Ymir and Hange and everyone else for me? Tell them to not worry and that I will be fine.’

He came out of the bathroom, mentally checking if he had forgotten anything. Realising that he was still wearing Levi's hoodie, he started to take it off, grateful that he was wearing a t-shirt underneath.

'Are you done?’ Levi asked from where he was standing now, next to the kitchen countertop.

'Huh?’ Eren stared at Levi, stopping midway with both his hands pointing upwards, still stuck in the hoodie.

Levi walked over to stand in front of Eren again. He took the ends of the hoodie and pulled it above and over Eren's head, his fingers skimming over Eren's arms in the process. He could feel himself getting a trail of goosebumps where Levi touched him.

'You are right. You do have to leave.’

Eren's heart fell but he nodded anyway. 'Yes, yes I do.’ 

'Shut up and listen. You have to leave Trost. You can't stay here with the whole place crawling with those men.’

Eren nodded.

'So. Come with me.’

‘What?’

'Come with me to Stohess.’

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapter!  
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything. They would make my day.  
> The next chapter will be updated soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I spend more time thinking about writing than actually writing. Does that happen with you guys too?  
> Anyways,  
> Note:  
> I realised that the names of locations could get a bit confusing. I have tried to make it clear in this chapter and others, but it's all in bits and pieces so I am just going to write it here for reference in case you get confused:  
> Eren: lives in Shiganshina  
> His dad, Mikasa, Armin: live in Rose  
> They are two different cities in the same state, Paradis.  
> Trost, which is where Levi and the rest live is in a different state. Mitras is a region in Trost where Levi grew up.  
> Also, please note that the names have no relation with Snk beyond the names themselves. Like there is no reasoning behind why I named something, no connection. I am very bad at naming. We just have to look at Regrets to see that. So I just randomly assign shit. 
> 
> I hope you like it!

 

_Five Months ago - 28th June- Shiganshina_

Eren was full. He had ordered too much take out for one person and even after eating an entire tub of fried chicken, he had enough left to feed him for another day. He was so used to sharing everything with Jean, his roommate, that he couldn't figure out how to order alone, though he would have to get used to it now, with finally a place of his own.

He had saved up all last two years of college, hoping to get a chance to live alone when he would start working. It had wreaked a havoc on his finances but it had been necessary. The university apartment that he had shared with Jean was too far away from the main city where all the major companies were located and Eren had wanted to experience 'city life’ anyway.

So, Eren had moved to an apartment he could barely afford, with an Economics degree he couldn't afford at all, and was all geared up to start an entry level job at Garrison Ltd as a financial analyst.

Jean had decided to stay back at their apartment, working for his Master's right after graduation but Eren had wanted some time off from the academic world.

He had moved in just two days ago, the shift promising to take the better part of his week. Thankfully, his job was not supposed to begin until mid-July so he had plenty of time to settle in.

Still, Eren wanted to get most of the unpacking done with, before Mikasa and Armin visited him from Rose. They were planning to come next week and Eren was sure Mikasa would nitpick about every little thing which would ultimately lead to an argument, leaving Armin to make peace between them. To avoid that, he wanted everything to be perfect before they came over.

He had planned to unpack his kitchen supplies today so that he could start cooking from tomorrow but he was feeling lazy. He contemplated turning in early to bed and got up from the couch. He was about to switch the TV off when his phone rang.

Eren looked at the ID and frowned. It was an unknown number but the area code was of Rose. Was Mikasa calling him? Or Armin?

He picked up. ‘Hello?’

'Eren?’ a hoarse voice called from the other end. Eren recognized it.

‘Dad? What’s up? Where's your cell phone?’

'Eren. We have to leave.’

'Huh? What?’

'Eren, they are after me. After us. We have to go. We have to leave.’

'What do you mean? Dad, are you okay? Dad?’

'Listen to me. Take out all the money from your account. Pack the essentials. I will be there by morning. I will explain everything later. We have to run, run Eren.’

The line went dead.

 _What the fuck?_ Eren dialed back but no one picked up. He tried his dad's cell phone after that but it went straight to voicemail. He tried three more times, leaving a message in the last one.  
'Hey, dad. It's me. Uh, call me okay? I am a little worried here.’ 

He dialed the unknown number again. The line clicked.

'Hello? Dad?’ Eren said in a rush. 

'Huh? This is a payphone, kid. Ain't no dad here.’ 

 _Payphone?_ 'Oh. Okay. Can you see a middle aged guy with long brown hair and glasses?’ 

'I told you already. There's no one here. Waste someone else's time.’ The line went dead. 

Why would his dad call him from a payphone? Did his battery die? What did he mean by packing up essentials? Who is after him? Why would he sound so weird?  
It was a Thursday. If his dad hadn't changed and Eren was sure that he hadn't, he should still be at work right now, going home only after midnight. Then why had he called from a payphone?  

Eren wondered whether he should call his dad's company. He got the number off of google and called his office.

'This is ParaZith Pharmaceuticals. How can I help you?’ said a woman on the other line.

‘Hello, I was wondering if I could get in touch with Grisha Jaeger? He is one of your research doctors.’

‘Okay, sir. Let me check.’

Eren waited.

'I am sorry. It seems that Dr. Jaeger left around twenty minutes ago.’

'Oh. Okay. Thanks anyway.’ 

'No problem, sir.’

Eren hung up. He called Armin's grandfather next. 'Hey, Mr. Arlert. I am fine. How are you? I actually called for a reason. Yes, can you see my dad's car on our driveway? No? Are the lights of our house on? No? Okay, thank you. No, no it's all okay. He just wasn't answering my calls so I was a little worried. No, it's okay. He does that sometimes. Well, have a good night. You too, Mr. Arlert. Bye.’

Eren didn't have any other number. He didn't know any of his father's friends. He didn't even know if his father had friends. He could call the police but his father hadn't gone missing or anything. He was just acting a little weird. What would he even say? _Hello, my dad isn't answering my calls? And he sounded a little crazy?_  
He decided to wait a couple of hours and see if his father called him back before raising any alarms.

His dad must be having a bad day. It sometimes happened. He had always been a little spaced out and it had increased since after Eren's mom had died. Or maybe he was drunk, Eren reasoned it out.

All his sleep forgotten, he resumed the show he was watching, his worry a constant undercurrent.

 

Eren would never regret doing nothing as much as he did later that night when his phone rang.  
'Hello? Eren? This is Grice. I work with your father. Uh, I don't know how to say this. I am his emergency contact and I got a call. I am at the hospital right now and there's been an accident.’

 

****

 

_Now_

 

'What?!’ Eren asked, bewildered. He couldn't believe what was happening.

'How many times do I have to repeat myself?’

'Stohess? You want me to come with you to Stohess?’

Levi nodded.

Either Eren was dumb like Levi had so often reiterated or this situation was actually as incomprehensible as it seemed.

He asked the first question that came to his mind. 'Why, why Stohess?’

'I have to go there anyway at the end of this week. We can go early,’ Levi replied, shrugging as if this was no big deal.

'You have to go to Stohess? Why?’

Levi backed away from Eren, moving behind the counter into the open kitchen. He poured a glass of water for himself from the fridge, apparently not in any hurry to answer. ‘I travel a lot. I don't think I have told you this but I own three other nightclubs. They are all in different cities. I circulate between the four, my home base being here in Trost. So, you could say I have to go to Stohess on business.’

‘Four? You own four nightclubs? Four?’ Eren repeated.  

'Yes.’ Levi took another sip of his water, his face as impassive as ever.

Eren shook his head. 'Wait, wait. I can't. I just told you that I can't drag you into this.’

Levi raised an eyebrow. 'And I said that I don't mind.’

'No. You don't understand.’ Eren pulled the ends of his hair.

'Then make me understand,’ he said, looking Eren straight in the eyes.

Eren stared at him, unsure of what to say.

'You don't have to tell me everything,’ Levi reassured him. 'Just give me the severity of the situation.’

Eren paused before nodding slowly. 'Okay.’  
He took a deep breath. _I can do this. To make Levi understand. I can do this. This is more important than your stupid fears, Eren._  
'The people after me is a gang based in Paradis, like I told you. I think they are mainly based in Rose because I have heard people mention them before. I don't know how much you know about Rose but it's a pretty corrupt city, gangs fighting for territory, high crime rate, drug cartels, the whole shebang. This gang is headed by the Reeves family or so I have heard. They are after something my dad had. I have no clue what it is but they think I have it. So they are after me too.’

Levi frowned. 'And…. your dad?’

Eren took another breath. Looking at the floor, he answered, 'He- he died. Five months ago when this all started. In a car accident. I don't know if it was actually a car accident or if it was premeditated. I don't think it was because they are clearly very desperate to find whatever my father had. I think the last person my dad called before- before it happened- was me. So they think, as his only son, I would have whatever they are after or at least know something about it. And so I have been running ever since.’

It was the first time Eren had ever said the words aloud. _He died_. Died. It wasn't that saying it aloud made it more real. He knew it was real. He had accepted that. But he hated the words anyway. It was so final. Died. Dead. Gone. Done. The end. An entire life lost, a person gone forever, a future left unmade, lives destroyed as collateral and all it took was two words to sum it up: he died.

His breathing quickened. He felt it, his anxiety waking up. _Aw fuck, not now._

'Hey.’ He heard Levi say. He sounded closer than he was before.

Eren could see Levi's feet on the floor in front of his. He numbly stared at the black slippers and the green socks. He knew Levi was concerned but he didn't dare look up. He knew that if he met Levi's eyes, he would do something embarrassing like cry. And Eren didn't want Levi to see him cry.

'I am sorry. I should not have pressured you to tell me.’

Eren shook his head. 'No,’ he croaked out. Clearing his throat, he tried again. 'No. It's okay. I am okay.’

'Liar.’

Eren bit the inside of his cheek, his breathing becoming faster and faster. Slowly, he felt Levi touch his upper arm. 'Breathe. Like how we have done before. Breathe. Deep. With me, come on.’

Eren nodded and tried to follow Levi’s lead but to no avail.

Levi finally took Eren's hand and gently laid it on his chest. 'Feel me breathe, okay? And follow.’

Eren nodded. He could feel the hard muscles of Levi's chest under his hand, which went up and down with each breath Levi took.  
He concentrated on his breathing, both of them silent.  
But soon, Levi started talking, so low it was almost a whisper. ‘You are safe, brat. You are here and you are safe. It will pass. It always passes. You just have to wait.’

Eren nodded.

They counted their breaths together and he felt it pass slowly. It took time but he felt the imaginary ball clogged in his throat become smaller and smaller until it was barely noticeable.

Levi, noticing the change, asked, 'Want to sit?’

Eren dropped his hand from Levi's chest and numbly nodded. They sat on the couch again. He was exhausted. Utterly exhausted. With Levi's help, he had stopped the attack before it could really start, but it had still left him shaken and tired.

They sat in silence for a while, both of them too exhausted to do or say anything else.  
Then finally, Eren murmured, 'I can't seem to catch a fucking break.’

Levi snorted. ‘For once in your life, you are right.’

Eren smiled back. He didn't want to think about reality. He didn't want to acknowledge that nothing had changed and that he still had to leave. But he had lived in a bubble for too long. He had almost three weeks of bliss and his bad luck was long overdue. Something had to give and Eren had to make sure that Levi and the others won't be in the line of fire when it all went to shit.

Eren sighed, mentally preparing himself for the conversation.

Levi tsked. ‘Shh. I can see what you are thinking. Wait.’

Eren shut his mouth, his eyes narrowing.

‘Okay, let me know if I have gotten this right. So you have a gang after you, or more particularly after something that they believe you have but you actually have no idea what it is?’

Eren nodded.

‘And you believe that they are dangerous enough to run for your life, not contacting anyone out of fear that they would harm them too?’

He nodded again.

'Okay.’ Levi gave a cursory nod. ‘We leave tomorrow night then.’

‘Huh?’

He shrugged. ‘You look like you could drop dead right now. You aren't in any shape to travel. We can leave during rush hour tomorrow night when there's less chance of us getting detected among the hundreds of cars. I have to take care of this one thing at Regrets and then we can leave. Usually, I fly to Stohess but if you are travelling with a fake name, using an ID isn't an option, I am guessing?’

Eren glared. 'When did I agree to come with you?’

‘When I agreed to deal with your shit.’

'And when was that?’

'It was implied, brat. God, it's like no one taught you basic communication.’

Eren bristled. 'Look who's talking. Have you not been listening to anything I have said?’

Levi focused his gaze on Eren. 'I have been listening. I understand the risks and I am still up for it.’

'But you could die! Don't you get that?’ Eren almost shouted.

'Pfft, I am not going to die.’

'How do you know that?’

'Think about it. It's Stohess. It's on the opposite coast. Not just one state over. They haven't figured out any connection between you and me. And even if they are suspicious, they are going to keep an eye on the club, not me. It's pretty common for me to travel. They could ask anyone this and they'd tell them the same thing. There is no chance that they would catch you there.’

'You said the same thing this morning about grocery shopping,’ Eren pointed out.

Levi grimaced. 'That's true. I shouldn't have made you go. But Stohess is a new city, thousands of miles away. They had already seen you here in Trost but they will have no clue about you being in Stohess.’

‘I didn't think they would spot me in Trost either but they did. What if they are bigger than we imagine? What if they are all over the country?’

Levi frowned. 'Then the farther, the better. You said they are based in Rose, then the farther we are from that city, the better it will be. In the meantime, I will find out more about them. We can find out what they are looking for, find a way out of this.’

Eren wasn't convinced. It wasn't that this wasn't a good option. Stohess sounded great for him. He wouldn't get this far away on his own. Levi was right. It was on the opposite coast. It was a big city, bigger than Rose and Trost combined. He would be one among a million. There would be little chance of them finding him there. What he wasn't convinced on was Levi's part in all of this.

He sighed. 'It's a great idea but even if the chances are little, I don't want you dying for me.’

'I don't want me dying for you either,’ Levi deadpanned.

Eren rolled his eyes.

But before he could interject, Levi continued, 'Look, there's a tiny chance that they would ever catch you there. And if they do, I will walk away. I promise. The moment there's any real danger, you are on your own. That's how I know I am not going to die. Believe me, I have no interest in risking my life for you. You are not that special.’

Eren snorted. 'Then why help me at all?’

'I am bored.’

Eren sighed in frustration. 'Why did I even bother asking.’

'Forget about my reasons. Just know that I am not gonna get hurt here. Be logical. Why would I, a person who met you just three weeks ago even bother hurting my pinky over you?’

Eren sighed. ‘You wouldn't,’ he admitted.

‘Exactly. I am not going to get hurt here. You are. Think about yourself and come with me to Stohess. We can figure this shit out.’

Eren said nothing.

‘You know, like Scooby Doo,’ Levi added with a tiny turn of his lips.

Eren couldn't help but smile. 'Only you would try to lighten the situation by talking about Scooby Doo.’

‘Are you coming then?’

Eren mulled it over. It was a good option logically. Levi was right. The chances of them getting caught were low. Really low. The chances of Levi getting harmed were low. And he believed Levi. He wouldn't put himself in harm's way for Eren. Levi was kind and helpful but he was also smart. He knew what it took to survive.  
But more than that, more than logic, the truth was that Eren wanted to go. He wanted more time. More time in the bubble. More time with Levi, if he was honest to himself. The idea of Levi being with him reassured him. It made his muscles relax and his heart calm down. It made him feel safe, at least as safe as he could feel.  
Guilt warred with temptation. He didn't want Levi to be in danger. He knew Levi would walk away when he had to, had known Levi long enough to know that. But what if something went wrong?  

'You promise to walk away the moment things go bad?’ Eren asked, needing to hear it once again.

'Yes, brat. I said I would.’

‘No, but do you promise?’ Eren asked again. Could he trust Levi to be safe? Stohess was on the other side of the country. Would that be enough to keep them from being caught?

'Yes, I promise. I will kick your ass to the curb if we even get a whiff of them in Stohess. Happy?’

It wasn't Levi they were after. It was him. They wouldn't want Levi if they could have Eren. Just like Levi promised him, he promised himself: _Any sign of danger and I would run. Run away from Levi, run towards the danger, give myself up, whatever it took. I would not let Levi get harmed._

Maybe he could have both. Maybe he could keep Levi safe and be with him too. Maybe he didn't have to choose.

Noticing his silence, Levi asked, 'Come on, brat. What happened now?’

Eren didn't answer.

Levi motioned between the two of them. 'Two are better than one. We can solve this. And then you can go back to your normal life. Besides, no one's gonna recognize you in Stohess. It's a giant fucking city. There's practically no danger. If there was any danger in here, I wouldn't have gotten into this. I grew up in Mitras. I know how to be selfish. Believe me.’

Eren looked him in the eyes. 'Anything happens and you run. Run away from me as fast as possible, as far as possible.’

Levi rolled his eyes. 'Yes, brat. I will. I will kick you out if anything happens and I will walk away.’

Finally, Eren nodded. He looked down at his hands as relief poured through him. He felt as if an exam he hadn't prepped for had been postponed. He was still hesitant. He still had a million fears but he couldn't help but feel the sense of doom alleviate. _It's Stohess. A thousand miles away. It will be okay,_ he consoled himself.

A hand touched Eren's chin and pulled his face up, forcing him to meet Levi's eyes.  
'I am not going to die for you, I promise. I am not going to save you, I promise. A hundred times. Come with me to Stohess.’

Eren nodded. 'Okay.'

 

****

 

Levi checked the locks of the main door once again before going for the windows. Eren had just turned in for the night. After the talk, Levi had ordered them pizza, too tired to bother cooking anything, while the brat had taken a shower. It had been a long day.

Levi had spent close to ten hours driving around everywhere from the club to the farmer's market, trying to find Eren. He had come back to the apartment four times, hoping Eren would show up there. The club had been closed for the day so he had sent Hange and Reiner to wait for Eren there. With each hour, he had grown more and more paranoid, imagining the things that could have happened to him.

He couldn't believe how much he had smoked today. Usually, he restricted himself to two or three but today, all his caution had been thrown out of the window with Eren missing. He had needed to do something, to feel something in his hands. He had needed the familiar action of taking a drag, the nicotine coursing through his system and calming him a little.

When he had finally seen Eren, sitting on his doorstep- asleep but _alive,_ his heart had stopped beating for a second before relief had spread through him like nothing he had ever felt before. That feeling was better than any drug he had ever tried. He could have gotten drunk on it. He had to stop himself from making a sound. Instead, he had settled for kneeling before Eren and placing his hands on those sleeping agile shoulders. He had needed to feel and see for himself that the brat was real and not just something conjured up by his panic-infused brain.

 _God,_ he thought now, recalling the events of today, _I am becoming too invested in this._

His hero complex was going to bite him in the ass. He just knew it. He could see it clear as day. He hadn't been able to save Isabel and Furlan so he was projecting his insecurities on the survival of this person. This weird, annoying, useless stranger who talked too much and broke everything in his path.

It was all Levi's fault. He was digging his own grave, putting his nose where it didn't belong, and he was going to pay for it. All the shit that was going to come their way, and Levi was sure that there will be a lot, he was going to deserve every little inch of it.

But it was not going to change his mind. He was not going to stop now. It was too late. He had to see this shit through. He would do everything he could to get Eren out of this mess, whether the brat liked it or not.  

He was glad that Eren had agreed to come with him to Stohess. Trost had become a viper's pit for him right now. The sooner he got away from here, the better it would be.

But he couldn't take Eren to Stohess unless he was absolutely sure that those men hadn't figured out a connection between the two of them. Even though he had told Eren that they hadn't, he didn't know that for sure.

It was a slim chance that they had. From what he could gather from Hange, they didn't seem that interested in the club. They would be there tomorrow to interrogate Levi but they didn't have any concrete proof that Levi was involved in this. For all they knew, he was an innocent bystander. It was a slim chance that they would figure it out but still, Levi didn't like to take chances.

It would be very easy to track Levi to Stohess. If the men had even an inkling that Levi was the one hiding Eren, then it would take them a span of a day to track them down to his club, or even on the way to Stohess.

From what he could see, he had two options. Hide his identity along with Eren and run. Or make sure they didn't suspect him.

Levi could go underground, hide his real identity along with Eren but it would make everything much harder, from getting a place to stay to hiding out until all of this blows over. If it blows over. It was bad enough that Eren would be using a fake ID, he couldn't use one himself too. It was too risky in case they got questioned by officials at any point or if any of the places they used it at tried to verify it. Levi missing off the face of the planet would also draw more attention to the club.

The first option was not preferable by any chance. It was too much work for a worst case scenario that might not play out at all. But how could he make sure that the worst case scenario didn't happen?

He called up Hange one more time, a question forming in his mind.

They picked up. 'What’s up, Shorty? I just got home.’

'Don't go to sleep just yet.’

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter!! It took so much time to convince Eren, god. Why can't characters behave the way you want them to behave?
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything. They are the life force of this fic honestly.  
> The next chapter will be here soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hello! Happy New Year, though it's 14 days late. Anyways, I am super excited about this chapter.  
> I hope you guys like it.

 

'Oi, brat. Wake up,’ Levi called, standing in the doorway of Eren's bedroom.

He watched as the lump of blankets on the bed shifted for a second before going still again.  
Rolling his eyes, he moved closer. 'Don't make me pour water on you.’

He heard a loud groan from under the blankets as the lump moved again. He couldn't stop himself from wondering if that's what Eren sounded like in bed too.

Slightly disgusted with himself, Levi lifted his foot and lightly kicked the lump, eliciting another groan.  _ Okay, none of that now. _

'It’s noon. You have been sleeping for more than 12 hours.’ 

Finally, a head poked out from under the blanket. Levi could see bleary green eyes stare at him in confusion. Levi hated those eyes. They were the definition of over the top. It was like lacing a blunt with coke. Too much and completely unnecessary. The brat couldn't have normal eyes like the rest of them. No, of course he had to have huge eyes the colour of the ocean _._

'Iss 12?’ Eren asked, his voice groggy.

'Yes. Now get up. I have to go to Regrets. But I need something from you before I go.’

Eren yawned, sitting up. ‘What do you need?’

Levi gave him a once-over. His cheeks had indentations from the pillow he had slept on, his too long hair was mussed up and his sleep ridden eyes were looking at him expectantly.  
Levi cleared his throat. ‘We need to take a photo.’

'Huh? My photo?’ Eren asked.

'Yes.’  

'Why?’

'Hange is going to make you a fake ID. It won't work everywhere, so don't use it at any place where they can actually verify it. We are always going to be using my ID instead. This is only in case of any contingencies.’

‘They make fake IDs?’

‘Like I said, it's not a valid ID. It's like something you kids might use at clubs. We don't have the time to buy you an entire new identity right now.’

Eren stared at him. 'New identity? You can buy a new identity? What the fuck, Levi?’

'Yes, but we don't have the time.’

‘How do you know people who sell identities?’

'You talk too much.’

‘Tell me,’ Eren implored.

Levi sighed. 'You can do a lot of things with enough money. There are all kinds of people in Mitras. Though it's not as easy to get you one as you think. So, we are going to place that idea in the back burner for now.’

Eren shook his head. ‘No, yeah, of course. I don't want you to do anything illegal for me. At all. You don't even have to get a fake ID. I don't want you guys to get in trouble.’

_ Again with the guilt,  _ Levi mentally grumbled. 'We won't. It's just a normal fake ID. I am sure you have had one before.’

Eren grinned. 'Yes, I did. I missed it so much these five months. I had stopped carrying it around after I turned 21. It would have made all of this much easier.’

Levi nodded. ‘Exactly. Come on, get dressed. I need to go soon.’

 

He left the room, walking to the kitchen. He had made some sandwiches earlier for breakfast but Eren had slept for longer that expected. Taking them out of the container, he put them in a plate and made some tea for the both of them while he waited for Eren to come out.

Eren arrived, wearing a more civilised t-shirt with his teeth brushed and his hair tied at the back. Levi didn't understand why he bothered tying his hair since most of it was short enough to come loose anyway. 

‘Let us get over with pictures first, then you can have your breakfast.’

Eren nodded.

Levi directed Eren to a plain wall and opened his phone camera, adjusting the focus. Eren's face remained blank for a moment before breaking into a giant smile. He tried to control it but to no avail.  
He groaned, a smile still stretched on his lips. 'I am sorry. I get very conscious in front of a camera.’

Levi said nothing and waited. Taking the cue, Eren tried to make his face passive, going as far as to massage his cheeks with his hands and slap them lightly.

The sight made Levi snort. Making sure the phone was on silent, he started taking pictures quietly.

'How the fuck do you ever click official photos?’ Levi asked, still taking candids.

Eren sighed. 'I don't know. You are making me even more self conscious.’

‘Am I?’ Levi raised his eyebrows. ‘Why?’

Eren blushed. ‘You just- you stare too much.’

Levi loved seeing his cheeks go pink. Actually, he loved seeing any kind of emotion on Eren's face. A study of emotions, that's what Eren's face was.  
'Well, I would have to since I am the one taking your pictures,’ he replied.

‘Nevermind. I am ready.’

Levi clicked pictures silently, staring at him through the camera.  
'Tch, why is your hair so long?’ he commented, looking at the pictures. ‘This looks more like you won first prize in a surfing competition than a picture taken for a driving license.’

Eren scowled, touching his hair absentmindedly. ‘It doesn't look that bad.’

‘All you need now is a beaded necklace.’

‘I didn't exactly have the liberty to go to a barber.’

'So?’ Levi retorted. ‘Cut it yourself, you baby.’

Eren's scowl deepened. 'You say as if you cut your own hair.’

'No, but I could if I had to.’

‘You think it's that simple without even trying?’

'Yes,’ Levi replied confidently.

'Okay. Cut mine then.’ Eren said, crossing his arms, challenge in his voice.

Levi narrowed his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure if Eren was bluffing or not. Either way, he couldn't say no without letting him win. 'Okay.’

Eren’s arms uncrossed. 'What?’

Levi smirked. _Caught you._  
'Let's cut your hair.’  

  
  


***

 

Eren hadn't yet decided if he regretted challenging Levi or not. He hadn't been serious when he had asked the man to cut his hair but he was in too deep to back out now. Besides, he wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to.

That's how he found himself sitting in a stool in the middle of the bathroom, with a giant towel tied around his neck to prevent his wet hair from ruining his clothes.  
Levi had sent him in with clear instructions to shampoo his hair in the sink. He was going to shower after the haircut so that any stray hairs wouldn't stick to his body. They weren't professionals after all.

Levi came in five minutes later with a pair of scissors, a comb and a spray bottle that had Windex written on it.  
Seeing Eren eye the Windex bottle, he shrugged. 'I improvised.’

'Please tell me you cleaned it before putting water in.’ 

‘Relax. I am not you.’

Eren gave him a dirty look which he ignored. He placed the supplies on the counter next to the sink within reach and came to stand right before him.

For once, Levi towered over Eren but not by much. The stool was high enough for Eren's eyes to reach Levi's collarbones. Eren couldn't help but stare at the pale skin of his neck. He was wearing a white shirt with the collar unbuttoned, which Eren was thankful for. His gaze moved over the small expanse of skin, following its trail with his eyes until it was covered up by the buttoned shirt.

His eyes flicked up to Levi's face to see the man staring back at him. When their eyes met, they both backed away a little bit.

Levi cleared his throat. 'So how do you want it cut?’

‘Uh, I don't know. Just shorten it, I guess.’

He snorted. ‘So detailed.’

Eren raised an eyebrow. ‘You said you could do this, so do it.’

Levi murmured something Eren couldn't catch but which sounded decidedly like 'brat’, before getting to work.

He put on his gloves, took a comb and parted Eren's hair from the middle. His fingers were gentle on Eren's scalp, one hand holding his head in place while the other combed through his hair.

He sprayed water over the already damp hair, making sure it was wet enough to be cut. The cold water tickled Eren's ear, making him shiver. Somehow, Levi immediately knew what was wrong and wiped the droplets off of his ear.  
Then, he began cutting.

He started from the sides first, his face scrunched up in concentration. Eren stared at him through the corner of his eyes but the prolonged staring hurt his eyes so he kept turning his head towards Levi without meaning to, which ultimately earned him a light smack on the back of his head.  
'Keep your head still, dumbo.’

Eren grimaced, more from the words than the smack, and resorted to staring straight at the wall.

Done with both the sides, Levi moved towards the back, standing behind him.   
Eren felt Levi's breath on his neck as he bent and moved his face closer to Eren to get a better view.  
The warm breath made Eren shiver again. He could feel goosebumps on the back of his neck and cursed himself when he realised that Levi would be able to see it. Levi's hands paused, still tangled in Eren's hair, but Eren didn't feel him move away. He could still feel the warm breath on his neck. He didn't know why but he leaned behind, almost imperceptibly, not enough to bump against Levi but enough to convey something, something Eren didn't know.  
And then he felt it: something grace the back of his neck. It was only for a second before it was gone, too short a time for him to decipher what it was. And then, as if nothing had happened, Levi began to work again.

But it  _ had _ happened. He could still feel the ghost of the touch on his neck.

Eren closed his eyes and sighed, listening to the snip-snip of the scissors cutting his hair.

  
  


***

 

It had been a while since Levi had seen those overgrown kids who had chased Eren down to his club.

Levi, Hange and Reeve’s men were gathered in Hange's office. Levi had popped over to Regrets after finishing up with the brat's haircut and had just finished talking about supplies with Hange when Reiner had come in, bearing news that the men were here again.

He would have had enjoyed intimidating the two of them but they were accompanied by one more member this time. It was obvious that the young brown man had seniority over the two of them, but not by much. He was too young to be too far up the totem pole.

‘I am Russo. These are Dean and Tom, who you have already met,’ the man introduced them, shaking Levi's hands in the process.

'I am Levi. This is Hange. Please have a seat. What can we do for you?’

The three sat on the chairs placed before Hange's table. Hange took their rightful seat behind the table while Levi chose to lean against the wall beside them with his arms crossed.  
Russo hadn't impressed Levi much in the time he had come in but the way he sat was the final nail to the coffin. He sat with the entitled authority of a brat who thought he owned the world when in reality, he couldn't even wipe his own ass.

‘Dean and Tom here tell me they saw you on the night we were searching for someone.’ He turned towards the two. ‘Was it him, boys?’

They nodded.

'And did you see them around three weeks ago here?’ Russo asked Levi.

'Yes. We met at the back alley.’

'And you didn't see anyone else?’

Levi shook his head. 'Just these two. It's a back alley with a dead end. You don't see much traffic there.’

Dean narrowed his eyes. ‘Where else could he have gone if not the alley?’

Levi shrugged. ‘How would I know?’

Dean straightened. ‘You really wanna fuck with me? I hope you haven't forgotten our last meeting.’

'Isn't that what we are discussing right now?’ Levi asked, his voice dripping with condescension.

Hange interrupted before Levi could make the situation any worse. 'Are you sure you didn't see anyone, Levi? Not even for a second?’

Levi shook his head. 'No one except these two.’

Russo licked his lips. ‘Well, this  _ was _ one of the last places he was seen,’ he said matter-of-factly.

_ Time to play. _

'If you want,’ Levi suggested, as nonchalantly as he could, 'we have security tapes of the night. You can go through that.’

Russo turned towards Dean and Tom. 'You didn't look at the tapes last time?’

They shook their heads. He turned back around, a smile on his face but Levi could see the annoyance underneath. 'Yes, we would like to see the tapes. Thank you.’

Levi nodded before motioning to Hange, who left the room and came back with a laptop and a hard disk attached to it. ‘It was 23rd November, right?’ they asked.

'Yes,’ Dean replied.

Hange opened the appropriate file and the video started playing.  
The grainy footage was of the back alley. The CCTV camera was positioned above the door leading to the storage room and faced the dumpster where Levi usually smoked. A part of the alley could be seen but not much else. Hange forwarded it to the part when Levi had his cigarette break.

They watched as Levi came in, stood next to the dumpster and lit a cigarette. A few minutes later, Dean and Tom appeared.

A couple of minutes more and their confrontation was over. They walked back the way they came, leaving Levi alone.

'See?’ Levi prompted. 'No one else.’

Russo hummed. 'Show me the front cameras.’

Hange obliged.

They all silently watched footage of people entering and leaving but no Eren.

'Inside,’ Russo ordered.

Hange opened the next file, featuring cameras inside the club. No Eren.

Finally, Russo sighed. He slowly got up and said, 'Well, he didn't come here. We appreciate the help.’

Levi nodded, shaking his hand again. 'It's no problem. But can you ask your guys to back off now? Their constant presence is making some of my clients nervous.’

Russo eyed Levi. ‘I am sure you could handle losing a couple of customers? You wouldn't want to make my boss nervous now, would you?’ He smiled big, obvious in its fakeness.

Levi smiled back. ‘Oh, not at all. Anything for-?’ he said, ending his sentence in a question.

‘His name is none of your concern. Anyways, our business here is over.’ Russo said, making the other two stand up too.

Levi watched as they walked out. It worked. They believed it.

 

***

**_Last Night_ **

Hange opened the door of their apartment, letting Levi in.

‘They didn't ask for the CCTV footage?’ he asked immediately.

‘No hello? No 'Hi, Hange, thanks for waiting at the club for 10 hours for my boyfriend to show up’?’

'Answer the question.’

'Nope,’ Hange replied, moving to the living room to sit on the couch. ‘They didn't ask for the CCTV. It doesn't matter much anyways. I would have told them the same thing I will tell them tomorrow: that we don't keep more than two weeks of footage, like we used to do with our old security system.’

Levi smiled, something that surprised Hange. He usually didn't express his emotions so freely. He had started doing it more and more since Eren had arrived but still, everytime it happened- every time he smiled a bit more freely or snorted out of disbelief or rolled his eyes dramatically- it surprised Hange. They didn't think they would ever get used to it.

He sat on the couch. ‘Those dumbfucks might have just saved me from a major pain in the ass.’

'What are you talking about?’

'Why make them rely on just our word of mouth when we can erase their suspicion for once and for all by showing them cold hard video evidence?’

‘You mean, tamper it?’ Hange asked, leaning forward. 

'Yes. We edit out the whole scene with Eren. Change the timestamps on every video.’

'This is a big risk and we don't even know if it's possible.’ Hange said, considering it.

'We can try. Hopefully, it will make them stop looking at the club.’

'All this for a hopefully?’

Levi met their eyes, his expression unreadable. ‘Yes.’

***

**_Now_ **

Hange waited till the men had left the premises to fling themselves to the nearest chair and sigh in relief. 'Oh god, I thought we were gonna get caught.’

Levi grunted. ‘They looked convinced, don't you think?’

Hange nodded eagerly. ‘They were. Thank God for our shitty camera quality. They didn't notice your cigarette becoming half between one shot and the other.’

Levi nodded back. ‘All that work paid off.’

'That reminds me, here, it's done,’ Hange said, taking out the fake driving license from their desk drawer and handing it over.

He glanced at it, his eyes going to the picture on the left. Hange had reduced the quality to make it seem more authentic but he could still see Eren clearly, one of the only pictures where the brat was not smiling. His pensive face made him look…. different. Levi couldn't decide if he liked it. He looked objectively better but it just wasn't Eren. He was one of those people who felt everything so intensely that a blank look on their face felt almost wrong.

He looked up at Hange. 'Thank you. For everything.’

Hange smiled. ‘Stay safe, okay? And use protection.’

Levi shoved them. ‘Shitty Glasses. Why do you have to ruin everything?’

Hange laughed. ‘Go now. Your boyfriend awaits.’

Rolling his eyes, Levi moved towards the door and Hange followed. They walked together to the club’s main entrance before he turned back towards them. 'Remember, give those assholes one week and if they don't get their shit together, we change our supplier.’

It was Hange's turns to roll their eyes. 'Yeah, yeah. I remember this from the first one hundred times you told me.’

'And keep me updated on everything.’

'Shoo. We don't want you here. Leave.’ Hange shoved him out of the door.

Levi shook his head, a slight smile on his lips.

 

***

Hange watched Levi leave. They weren't particularly religious, but they always liked the possibility of magic, something more than visible to the naked eye. It's what made them so interested in science too- magic in its own right. So, as they watched Levi leave, they silently prayed to whatever entity was out there, prayed for his and Eren's safety and their happiness too.

They didn't realise that Eld had come to stand next to them until he spoke up. 'Why are you supporting him?’

Hange turned to look at him but he was still watching the road, as if he could still see Levi walking home to Eren.  
They smiled. ‘You know, I have known Levi for more than a decade and I have never seen him come alive like that. Have you?’

Eld took his time to respond. ‘No, no I haven't.’

Hange nodded. 'And there's your answer.’

Eld didn't say anything at first but Hange knew him, had figured him out after working with him for years. Eld didn't let anything go. He just took his time to formulate his argument.

'But-’  _ There it is  _ ‘-is it worth it? Is this infatuation really worth getting potentially killed over?’

Hange hummed. 'He's gonna do it anyway. We both know it. So we can either help him do it in a way that doesn't get them killed or try to stop him which makes him go rogue.’

Eld sighed. ‘The first time this guy starts to get feelings and it's for someone with a price on his head.’

Hange grinned. ‘As if we could expect anything less from our Levi.’ 

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it. I know, it's a little short. But I wanted to start the next part in a new chapter. 
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, questions, anything. I would greatly appreciate it. 
> 
> The next chapter will be up soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know I am very late, so late, I had never thought I would be this late. There are a myriad of reasons for that but the prime one is that I was too busy to give this story the kind of effort it deserves. Like even when I had free time, I didn't have enough time or energy to give it the effort I want to give it, ya know?  
> I half ass a lot of things in my life but I don't wanna half ass this.  
> Thank you for being patient. I hope you like this chapter.

They set off from Trost at around eight that evening, to Eren's great relief. As they left the city limits, he could feel his body relax, the jumble of nerves that he had become untangle itself with each mile covered.

It had taken them the better part of an hour to get out of the city, which Eren had spent looking out for any sign of Reeve's men. There hadn't been a lot of traffic but the roads had been busy enough for it to take more time than usual.

It had served its purpose. The Range Rover had been one among many cars on the road. Its black tinted windows hid Eren, who had covered half of his face with Levi's hoodie anyway. Still, Eren hadn't been able to stop his old habit of stressing over every sketchy man dressed in black.

With the city far behind them, Eren finally relaxed enough to pretend that this was an actual road trip. He had never been on a road trip before and as he had learnt, neither had Levi. Eren had always pictured his first road trip to be with Mikasa and Armin as they toured through the country or went backpacking across Europe. But those dreams had remained just that and here Eren was, on the run from a gang with his only companion being a man he had met a month ago.

But as Eren glanced at Levi, he found that he didn't really mind that his first and possibly last road trip had to be like this. Underneath all the doubts and the fears, he was even a tad bit excited.

In the spirit of carrying on the charade, Eren switched on the radio, letting music fill up the empty space in the car. He wasn't aware of the rules of road tripping but he was pretty sure that the one sitting shotgun was always in charge of the music. Levi, however, was of a different opinion. When Eren settled on an electronic music station, Levi turned it off faster than Eren could say the first syllable of his name.

'Play good music or play nothing,’ Levi stated simply.

'It is good music,’ Eren argued.

'Bullshit.’

'Fine,’ Eren grumbled, changing it. He surfed through the stations, stopping when he recognized a song that he and Jean had danced to on their graduation night. He smiled at the memory, the familiar beats making him dance along in his seat. But he only managed to bob his head once before it got cut off again.

He glared at Levi, who shrugged. 'Good music.’

‘What, do you have a problem with EDM or something?’ Eren murmured.

Levi didn't reply which made Eren pause. He turned towards him slowly. 'Wait really?’

Levi remained silent.

Eren took that as an affirmative. ‘But you are a nightclub owner,’ he sputtered.

'So?’ Levi asked, affronted.

'So? So, you are supposed to like EDM.’ Eren couldn't believe it.

'Why do I have to like EDM to be a nightclub owner?’ Levi asked, as if the idea of any correlation between the two was preposterous.

Eren definitely couldn't believe this. 'Are you hearing yourself?’

'Why are you one of those people who get offended if I don't share their preference in music?’

'Oh no, no. It's completely fine if a person doesn't like EDM, it's their choice. But that's all you hear in Regrets. Why do you own a nightclub that plays only EDM if you don't like EDM?’

‘Why do I have to like something to make money off of it? If I told you, I didn't like whiskey, you wouldn't blink an eye. But not liking EDM is somehow any different?’

'That's a bullshit comparison and you know it,’ Eren argued.

‘The point is, I don't have to like something to use it.’

'But what's the point of having such a cool job if you don't even like the music?’

'Money?’ Levi answered, the tone suggesting that the answer should have been obvious.

'But it's your club. You can play whatever you want,’ Eren pointed out.

'Aren't you an Eco major? Haven't you heard of supply and demand?’

Eren remained silent for a while, digesting the new information. He could sense Levi didn’t want to talk about it, so he steered the conversation to a safer topic. 'If you could have it your way, what would you play?’

Levi took his time to answer, his eyes on the road the entire time. ‘I don't know. I have never really thought about it. Something soft. Which doesn't damage your eardrums.’  

'EDM can be soft,’ Eren pointed out.

Levi wasn't convinced. ‘Can it really? Is that really what you would call soft? Just because it's a remix of Coldplay doesn't make it soft.’

'You know what,’ Eren said with a grin growing with each word, ‘I think it's time for a music lesson.’ He grabbed Levi's phone from its place in the cup holder. 

'No,’ Levi ordered.

Eren unlocked it, connecting it to the car.

‘Absolutely not, brat, I will stop this car and kick you out,’ Levi warned.

Eren hushed him. ‘Shh, cry baby. You are going to give it a chance.’

Levi did not, however, kick him out. He didn't even make a grab for his phone. Eren took it as the approval that it was and picked songs which he knew for a fact that Levi wouldn't be able to help but like. His songs didn't have the desired effect but Eren remained determined and was pleased to see that Levi stopped groaning about it 20 minutes in.

As he watched Levi ignore the catchy beats of AJR and stare out of the window, the little tidbit about him remained in Eren’s mind, inching towards a question that had been a mere thought when they had first met but was now solidifying and taking form with each new insight into his life. But he wasn’t going to ask it, not yet anyway.

  


They planned to drive the entire night and the next day, taking shifts sleeping. Driving for an entire day was an ambitious feat, which neither of them wanted to do but they knew that the more distance they put between them and Trost, the better it would be.

Levi took the first shift, which Eren protested against. But Levi shut him up real quick, pointing out that with a sleepy Eren behind the wheel, he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Eren, knowing it was useless to argue, reclined his seat and drifted off, trying to catch as much sleep as he could before the long day ahead.  

He was woken up by Levi somewhere before dawn to change shifts.

Rubbing his face, he was embarrassed to find that he had dried drool stuck to the side of his face. He was grateful that Levi didn't say anything about it and pretended not to notice when he discreetly rubbed it off.

They stopped at a gas station to use the washroom and buy some Red Bull for Eren, before setting off again.

Hyped up on Red Bull, Eren drove as Levi slept and the sky around them became lighter. Early mornings had always seemed surreal to Eren. Everything looked more in focus yet subdued at the same time. Dawn had a way of making the colours all muted and the edges high definition.

It also had a way of putting things in perspective. Eren had always found dawn to have the same effect as a starry sky, though they both worked in different ways. While stars made you realize just how small and insignificant your problems were compared to the endlessness of the universe, dawn gave you a timeout from dealing with them. Dawn was the break before the impending battle, the small intake of breath between two days.  
It was sitting up in bed, still half asleep, enjoying the warmth of your first cup of coffee as you lazily scrolled through your phone. You had the rest of the day to think about things you didn't want to think about, at dawn you could rest.

The sky was beautiful, the interstate was endless, there was soft music playing on the radio and Levi was sleeping next to him. Eren felt more at peace than he could ever remember being.

He had avoided glancing at Levi's direction in the first half hour, giving him time to fall asleep. But the moment he had been sure that Levi was sound asleep, Eren hadn't been able to help himself, curiosity winning out.

The image of a sleeping Levi was nothing like Eren had ever seen before. This strong guy who never lowered his guard, never let himself be vulnerable, never let himself get caught on the wrong foot, had transformed into what he actually was: a human. Levi had such a large presence when he was awake that it was easy to forget his height. While sleeping, on the other hand, he looked as small as he really was.

His razor sharp eyes were closed and his usually blank expression wasn't gone but rather had an added element to it. Eren had trouble recognizing it, before he finally realized that Levi looked like how Eren felt: calm, tranquil, peaceful.

Eren felt almost guilty watching him, like he had on his first day in the apartment when Levi had cooked for them. It felt like an intimate sight, something not meant to be encroached upon by anyone other than a lover or family.

And with that, Eren's thoughts took a direction he didn't want to go as he began to wonder whether Levi had a lover. He didn't think so. Levi hadn't brought anyone home in the weeks that Eren had lived with him, nor had he ever mentioned anyone.  
But then again, Levi wasn't the type to mention it. Eren had only found out yesterday that Levi owned more clubs than Regrets. He wasn't exactly the most open person.

 _Wait, why do you care?_ Eren asked himself. Why should it bother Eren whether he was seeing someone or not? He didn't need to know. He didn't need to think about it. It inched too close to thoughts Eren had avoided for weeks but his mind had apparently no plan of stopping.

The mention of the word 'lover’ made him think of another word, a similar word, and he remembered the conversation he had had with Levi earlier that day.

 

Eren had been waiting for Levi to come home for hours. The man had mentioned that they would leave for Stohess after he finished his work at Regrets but he had never clarified just how much time it would take.   
In the meantime, Eren had finished packing, finished cleaning and was ready to go. Like a kid before a school trip, he hadn't been able to sit still. Even though it hadn't been that long since Levi had left, he had been too wired to sit patiently. He had needed something to do until he returned.  
So, Eren had started doodling. It was a thing he did a lot when he felt restless or bored, a thing he had picked up from his dad. In fact, one of the only things he had picked up from his dad.

He was around ten pages into the notebook when Levi entered the apartment with a plastic bag in his hand. He threw the bag over to Eren, who catching it with his hands, asked, ‘What's this?’

'Hair dye.’

Eren pulled out the bottle of black hair dye from the plastic bag and looked at Levi. 'But my hair is finally back to normal.’

'It's extra precaution. And this,’ Levi said, handing over the fake driver's license.

Eren looked at it eagerly. It seemed so real. His eyes skimmed over the words.   
_Ackerman_  
_Armand._  
_253 West Brookside Ave._  
_Wait. What?_  
His head snapped up, a blush spreading all over his face. ‘Did-did Hange make this?’

'Yeah, why?’ Levi asked absentmindedly from the kitchen, where he was rummaging through the fridge. 

'Uh, have you seen it?’

His tone made Levi stop what he was doing and look over. 'Why? What's wrong with it?’ he asked.

Eren blushed harder, if it was even possible. He wordlessly held out the license.

Levi walked over to him. Taking the license, he peered at it. 'Everything seems okay- oh.’

Eren nodded. 'Yeah.’

And then, almost impossibly, he saw a slight pink tinge colour Levi's cheeks and the ends of his ears. Eren stared at him, absolutely floored. He didn't think Levi was capable of blushing.

Levi kept the ID down on the table, as if he didn't know what to do with it. Then, low enough that Eren almost didn't hear it, he whispered, 'I am going to kill them.’

Eren snorted. Levi's eyes turned to him, disbelief etched over his features. 'You find this funny?’

Eren shook his head, trying hard not to laugh and failing. 'No, not at all.’

'Why would they do this? We don't look anything alike to be related,’ Levi asked, his voice just above a whisper. He looked so confused that Eren couldn't help but feel bad.

'I don't think they meant for us to be related. By blood, at least.’ Eren's blush refused to go. He had turned a blind eye at all of Hange's ministrations towards getting them together, but even Reiner had noticed the obvious and sometimes lewd suggestions.

Levi's blush deepened and so did his anger. 'What bullshit? What is this? A romcom? I can't fucking travel around calling you my husband.’

The last word filled up the room and neither of them tried to follow it up with anything. It was the elephant in the room and Levi had just called attention to it.  
They are just pulling your leg,’ Eren said, in an attempt to move past it.

'I know that, brat, but is this really the time?’ Levi asked, as he called up Hange. Eren watched silently, knowing it was better to stay out of it.

Levi didn't even give them a chance to say 'Hello’, shouting into the receiver, ‘What is the meaning of this?!’

‘This?’ Hange asked.

‘Armand Ackerman.’

'Oh. Armand. Long for Armie. Stolen from Armie Hammer himself.’

‘Don't play dumb, Hange.’

Eren heard a giggle from the other end. 'I couldn't think of a last name so I put the first one that came to my mind,’ Hange replied.

Levi hung up and Eren laughed again, earning him a glare from the fuming man.  'I am sorry. You look so worked up. You weren't even this mad when your white shirt got mixed up with my coloured ones in the wash.’

Levi's glare darkened. 'Why are you reminding me of that?’

Eren raised his hands in surrender and shrugged. ‘So we play pretend if it comes up. It's okay. As long as it doesn't raise suspicion, does it matter?’

'It shouldn't but...’ Levi grumbled into silence.

‘Exactly.’

Levi glared at him again, which didn't help him control his laughter.  
_And he thinks I am the brat._

  


Eren chuckled again as he drove, the image of Levi's face clear in his mind, red with embarrassment.   
A dozen thoughts crossed his mind. He wondered if Levi had been blushing for the same reasons as him. If Levi would have blushed if Hange had done that to someone else's ID. Whether the moment they had when Levi was cutting his hair was a moment at all or was it just Eren's infatuation going too far.  
He shook his head as he wondered how he could think of things so futile when he had other matters to attend to, matters which scared him to the core of his bones.  
He snorted, thinking about how Levi would react if he knew about the things going on in his head. He would be smacked, if not for taking liberties with Levi's image, then surely for the pointlessness of such thoughts.

  


Eren managed to distract himself for another four hours before Levi woke up. The sun had completely risen by then, its rays hitting Levi despite the black tinted windows and the sun visor that had been pulled down by Eren earlier. He moved around, shielding his eyes against the incoming light before opening them and groaning in the process.

He looked around, his eyes resting on Eren before taking in his surroundings. He yawned, and blinked once, twice, thrice. Eren couldn't help but be reminded of a cat.

Levi watched as a sign passed them by. He turned towards Eren with a frown. 'Why are we still only here?’

'Huh? It's only been four hours. You are up way too early. You can sleep more. We have a whole day ahead.’

'I know it's only been four hours. We are going the right way and you not driving that slow. We should have covered a lot more distance by now. We should have been in Utgard by now.’ He looked at Eren in suspicion. 'Did you stop in between?’

‘What? No,’ Eren denied before admitting, 'Just a couple of times in between for bathroom breaks.’

Levi furrowed his brow. ‘Just how many times?’

'Uh, I don't know. I didn't keep count.’

'It's only been four hours. How many times did you stop, brat?’ Levi asked, emphasizing each word.

Eren looked at the road ahead and pursed his lips. 'Maybe one or two.’

'Liar.’

'I am not lying.’

‘Sure.’

‘How would you even know?’ Eren argued.  

'Because you suck at lying,’ Levi said matter-of-factly. 

'I will have you know,’ Eren countered, 'that just two days ago, I fooled an old guy into thinking that I lived in his apartment complex.’

'Senile men don't count. Next, you will brag about fooling a baby into thinking that you got his nose.’

'That's ageist.’

'And you are stupid. Now, how many breaks did you take?’ Levi asked.

'Fine. Four, okay. Four,’ Eren confessed, giving up.

Levi blinked. 'What the fuck, Jaeger? Who takes four breaks in four hours?’

The use of his last name jarred Eren a little. 'I- I had to pee. How do you know my last name?’

'Is that really what you should be concentrating on right now? Not that you have a problem?’

Eren glowered. ‘I don't have a problem. How do you know my last name?’

Levi gave him a blank stare. ‘You caught me. I am one of Reeve's men. Don't you remember I was wearing black the first time I met you,’ he deadpanned.

'Fuck you. Tell me.’

Levi sighed. 'The guys who chased you that first night called you Jaeger, Sherlock.’

'Oh.’ He couldn't believe Levi remembered.

‘Yeah.’ Levi nodded before adding, ‘I think you should go to a doctor.’

But Eren wanted to discuss something else. 'How come you know so much about me and I don't know anything about you?’

'You know my last name too,’ Levi pointed out.

'I just found out two days ago that you have more clubs,’ Eren continued, ignoring him. 'I really don't know anything about you.’

'Why do you have to? This isn't a Lifetime movie,’ Levi snapped.

‘There doesn't always have to be a reason for something. I just want to know,’ Eren stated.

Levi looked at him but Eren kept his eyes on the road. A part of him was afraid to know what he was thinking.   
He rushed to speak before Levi could say something more. 'Like, when did you and Hange become friends? How long have you been doing this, managing and owning nightclubs? Do you like doing it? Why'd you open a club at Stohess, so far away from your home base?'  
Eren could have gone on, the questions in his head pushing to get out, but he realised that he had already asked way more than he should. He finally looked at Levi, taking his eyes off the road.

Levi looked a little stunned. But he covered it up fast and narrowed his eyes. ‘Nosy brat.’

Eren sighed, before saying dejectedly, 'I know this is only a stint, we do this, you help me and then you never want to see my face again. But that doesn't mean we can't talk to each other while we are together.’ Eren didn't know why he was acting on his stupid urge to know more about Levi. You didn't have to know someone's past to know them as a person. But Eren wanted it anyway. He hadn't met anyone who invoked his curiosity as much as Levi had.

Levi sighed and for a second, Eren was sure that this would come to nothing, Levi would just pass a dry comment and they would be back to square one. But then, in his same empty voice, Levi began, ‘Hange and I met when my uncle hired them while they were still in college. They worked part time in college, then shifted to full time after graduation. I never understood why. They had a degree in computer science from a fairly reputed university. They could do anything they wanted but that idiot still chose to work here at a shit salary. I have been doing this since I was 19 and working at that bar in Mitras far longer than that. Stohess was a good business opportunity and a city I was kind of familiar with.’

It was Eren's turn to be stunned. He didn't think Levi would actually answer. 'And do you like it?’ he asked again.

Levi sighed and looked out the window. Eren waited for his answer but nothing came.

 

****

 

The two drove the entire day, stopping for food and when Eren had to pee, which Levi thought was a lot more than humanly possible but Eren disagreed.

After having breakfast at an Ihop (where Levi whined the entire time), they stopped at around three in the afternoon at a diner for lunch, both of them tired and stiff from sitting for so long.

Eren stretched, as he got out of the car in the empty parking lot of the diner. He contemplated going for a short walk before sitting down to eat. They were in a small highway town, with many businesses specifically designed to attract passerbys. Eren had no plan to waste any money on tourist attractions but he could at least have a look around and get some fresh air before having to sit again.

But Levi walked straight in, making his decision for him.

The diner was nearly empty, simple and most importantly, clean. Eren had never realized how much cleanliness mattered in public places until yesterday. Levi refused to pee in washrooms that weren't up to his standards, which according to Eren was ridiculous. They were guys, they could pee anywhere. What sort of standards did he expect from gas station bathrooms anyway?

Levi made a beeline for the diner washroom while Eren sat at a booth in the far corner, as hidden as they could possibly be. They weren’t really trying to hide themselves but they still took certain precautions.

A cheerful girl walked up to his table, handing him a laminated menu. ‘Hello, My name is Sasha. I will be your server. Our specials today are chicken pot pie and pork patty sandwich. Though I also recommend you try our breakfast foods, if you don't mind eating it for lunch.’

Eren smiled. 'Thank you. Hey, I have a friend who's name is also Sasha.’

She smiled back. ‘Really? I don't find that many Sashas usually. Not that common a name around here.’  

'Yes,’ he agreed. ‘It is more of a Russian name, I think. Though you do see it now and then in movies.’ 

Levi returned, taking a seat across from Eren. He glanced at Sasha, who smiled at him. 'Hello, I am Sasha. I will be your server today.’  
Handing him another menu, she replied to Eren, 'Yes, it is Russian, but I don't really have anyone Russian on either side of the family. I think they just liked the name.’

‘It does have a certain ring to it,’ Eren added, giving her a lopsided grin.

Sasha laughed softly. 'You are too sweet.’ Her eyes drifted over to Levi, who had lost interest in the conversation and was currently looking at his menu. ‘Anyways, let me know when you decide what to order.’

Eren watched her go back to the counter, a smile still on his face. He looked back down at the menu, wondering what to get.  
'Should I get waffles or should I-’ He looked up only to find Levi staring at him with an odd look on his face. 'What?’

Levi shook his head, shifting his gaze to the menu again. 'Nothing.’

They ended up ordering a chicken grilled sandwich with tea for Levi and waffles with a chocolate milkshake for Eren.  
Levi shook his head at the order. ‘Between this and the sheer amount of snacks you consume, I don't know how you are not in a perpetual sugar rush.’

Eren grinned. 'I got my sweet tooth from my mom. She was always making desserts for me, trying new stuff. But I was too young to appreciate it. I just wanted ice cream, not stollen or crème brûlée.’

‘And now you do?’ Levi asked, skeptical.  

‘Not everything but a lot more things. I didn't do a lot of cooking in college but Mikasa did try to teach me to bake in high school. It didn't end well. I don't think I have a cooking bone in my body.’

'Have you been friends with those two your whole life?’

'Mikasa and Armin? Yes. We have been joined at the hip for as long as I can remember. We separated only in college when I moved to Shiganshina. Mikasa didn't talk to me for two weeks after that.’ Eren smiled at the memory.

Levi frowned. 'But you moved for your education. Why would she get mad over that?’

Eren hesitated. 'I, uh, got accepted at Rose University too, where they joined. The courses offered were the same at Rose and Shiganshina. Rose was the better choice, having a higher rank but I went for Shiganshina instead.’

'Why?’

Eren deliberated over the answer. 'For one, it was cheaper. They offered me a partial scholarship. But more than that, I didn't want to live at home anymore.’

Levi looked at him, but didn't say anything. Eren didn't know if it was wishful thinking but he felt like Levi understood.

They didn't talk again until Sasha came back, both of them comfortable in their shared universe. She returned with their food in her hands and a smile on her face.

Eren instinctively smiled back. She put their food on the table and greeted each of them in turn. ‘Enjoy your food.’

Eren thanked her and she looked at Levi, probably waiting for him to respond.

Levi, who had been watching Eren, looked down at his sandwich and nodded. 'Thank you,’ he said politely.

With her hands holding onto her tray, Sasha lingered a little, looking like she wanted to say something to Levi before deciding against it and walking away. Eren frowned, wondering if he was imagining it.

Dismissing his thoughts, he digged into his waffles, demolishing them under five minutes. He spent the rest of the time slurping his milkshake and watching Levi systematically eat his sandwich. Levi was a picky eater, something which amused Eren to no end. He picked out the tomatoes from his sandwich, cut the pieces of chicken that were overflowing from the sides and didn't even touch his side of chips.

Levi grimaced after taking a sip of his tea. 'I don't know why I expected anything better.’

Eren grinned, resting his face on the palm of his hands with his elbows on the table. ‘You like _my_ tea.’

'Yes, which was a surprise for both of us.’

Eren hummed in reply and stole a chip before immediately going for another one.

'Have it all,’ Levi offered. ‘I forgot to tell them to hold the chips.’

'No,’ Eren protested, taking three of them at once, 'why would you ever waste free chips? Let me have them instead.’

Levi huffed out a laugh.

‘What?’ Eren prompted, surprised to see Levi of all people laugh at something so trivial as this.

Levi regarded him before answering. 'You remind me of this friend I had when I was young. We didn't get many chances to go out but when we did, I always went for a simple sub or a burger, declining whatever inane side that came with it or whatever stupid combo meal they offered. And this annoyed her to no end. She always, always whined about it. In the end, I got into the habit of just ordering the sides and letting her finish it off. And she did. Even if it was as disgusting as coleslaw.’

Eren could see how much effort it took Levi to open up. Even if it was just a conversation about a friend and food. He wanted to thank him for offering up this little part of himself. But he knew that he couldn't do that. Levi was a lot like Mikasa in that way. You couldn't acknowledge their progress or effort, that would be a sure-shot way of reverting them back to their old selves. You needed to ignore it, continue as if what they had done was nothing out of the ordinary. And so Eren said, 'Hey! Coleslaw is tasty.’

‘I have seen you eat food off the ground,’ Levi replied, not missing a beat.

Eren smiled, pleased to see that he had made the right decision. 'Five second rule. Admit it. Your friend and I both like coleslaw. It's you who's wrong.’

Levi rolled his eyes. 'Brat.’

 

They finished their meal and asked for the bill. Sasha brought it over and while Levi paid, she and Eren made casual chit chat.  
‘Are you guys staying here for long?’ she asked, glancing over at Levi again. A touch of suspicion grazed Eren's mind. He wondered again what exactly was happening.

He looked at Levi too but the guy hadn't yet noticed his audience. 'No, we are just passing by,’ Eren replied.

'Oh, that's sad. You guys should at least visit the town. There are a lot of tiny tourist spots. Make the most of your road trip. I could show you around if you want. After my shift gets over.’ She smiled again and Levi finally looked up at her. They made eye contact and Eren could swear she batted her eyes at him. She leaned towards him as he handed her the bill and she took it, touching his fingers in the process.

Eren felt oddly annoyed.

He didn't know why he felt annoyed, or maybe he did know but _that just couldn't be the reason. It couldn't be._

But the reason didn't matter because they were still making eye contact and he felt ang- _No, not angry._ Eren was familiar with anger. It was an old friend, a constant companion in his teenage years. He knew how it felt, that blunt visceral thing that filled his veins and whispered in his ears.  
This was different, unfamiliar and frustrating. A sharp, sudden feeling in his chest as he watched from the outside looking in, interrupting a moment he wasn't supposed to be a part of. He couldn't understand it.

Finally, Levi opened his mouth and Eren prepared himself. Prepared himself for the worst, even when he didn't know exactly what he expected the worst to be. ‘We really have to get going if we want to make it to our hotel reservation tonight.’

Sasha nodded slowly. Her smile was sympathetic and genuine. 'That's too bad. Well, if you cross through here again, be sure to drop by.’

And with one last look at the two of them, she was gone. Eren stared after her, relieved and confused. He looked back at Levi, only to find his eyes on him again.  
Levi cocked his eyebrow. 'Jealous?’

'W-what?’ Eren stammered.

‘All your flirting and she liked me in the end.’

Eren silently breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know how Levi got that idea but if it kept him from guessing the actual truth, he would take it.  'I wasn't flirting with her.’

‘Yeah, sure. 'It has a certain ring to it’,’ Levi imitated him. ‘What do you call that?’

'It's called being nice, asshole,’ Eren grumbled, getting up from his seat.

'If you think that's being nice, you are too young for this world,’ Levi retorted, following him out of the diner.

‘You need to learn social etiquettes,’ Eren answered, a small smile on his face, glad that it was back to being just the two of them.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hoped you liked it. I will try to be more regular in posting. 
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything. I will really appreciate it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Hello. Remember when I said I am going to be more regular with updates? I lied. Sometimes you want to be able to devote your time to something but life has other plans.  
> God, it feels beautiful being able to return to this.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. I enjoyed writing this chapter more than any other chapter, I think. I still remember the night I wrote it very vividly. It was a good night.

 

It was their third day on the road, long enough time for them to have fallen into a comfortable pattern. They continued driving in shifts, even when they didn't plan to drive the entire day. Though Levi preferred to drive most of the time, something Eren didn't complain about because he knew that Levi got restless too quickly when he had nothing to do. Eren did too, but he had more productive ways of getting rid of it, namely doodling, finding new songs to listen to and annoying Levi. He was actually enjoying himself quite a lot. The farther they moved from Trost and the threat hanging over Eren's head, the happier he became. Even though this wasn't a normal road trip and they only stopped for sleep, food, filling up gas, and restrooms, Eren found that he liked it nonetheless.

The only downside was how tiring it was to travel for hours straight. However, sleeping in proper hotel beds last night, instead of car seats, had infused some of their energy back into them, which was visible by the lack of dark circles under Eren's eyes. The same couldn't be said about Levi, who looked sleep deprived either way.  

It was too early in the morning and Eren's stomach was growling. They had checked out of their hotel early, with Levi banging down his hotel room door at 7 in the morning. They hadn't had time for breakfast, and the fact that they weren't sure when they would stop for breakfast somehow made Eren even hungrier.

With Levi driving, Eren took the chance to turn around in his seat and search the back for any leftover snacks. He found a Mars bar and two cans of Red bull. Taking the chocolate and one of the cans, he settled to have his breakfast.

He offered the chocolate to Levi, who unsurprisingly refused. He unwrapped the chocolate and was just about to open his can of warm Red Bull, when Levi made an observation.

‘I know why you pee this much,’ he said, his eyes still on the road.

'Why?’ Eren asked, his mouth full of Mars.  

'Energy drinks.’

'Red Bull? No. I don't drink it that much.’

'Oh please. You drink that all the time when you have to drive and that's when you start peeing,’ Levi said, his tone confident.

'Why are you so interested in my peeing habits?’ Eren struck back.

‘You are like a dog marking your territory all over the country. It's hard not to notice.’

‘What do you want me to do then?’ Eren objected. ‘I can either drink it or sleep. Your choice: excessive peeing or car accident.’

Levi rolled his eyes. ‘Drink coffee, you overgrown baby.’

Eren scoffed. ‘Coffee doesn't do anything compared to energy drinks. How can you even suggest that?’

‘That’s just bullshit marketing they sell you.’

Eren scrunched up his face. 'What? No. Haven't you ever had an energy drink?’

Levi shrugged.

Eren turned his entire body towards him, his eyes wide. 'No. No way.’

'What?’ Levi asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

‘Levi, you are a nightclub owner.’

'I know that.’

'You are a nightclub owner. You sell alcohol. You smoke. I am pretty sure you have done drugs before. But you have never had an energy drink?’ Eren asked, disbelief making his voice go up.

‘Is that a rite of passage I didn't know I had to take?’ Levi said dryly.

‘Yes. How did you get through college?’ Eren paused. ‘Wait, did you go to college?’

Levi shook his head. 'Took some online classes to get the basics of business.’

'No wonder you haven't tried it. Okay, you have to try it now.’ He grabbed an unopened can of Red Bull from the backseat and popped it open. The smell of chewing gum filled the car.

Levi scrunched his nose. ‘It even smells disgusting. Why would I like it?’

'Tch. Try it,’ Eren insisted, pushing the can towards him.

He watched as Levi took it in one hand and brought it close to his nose. Sniffing it more, he peered into the can suspiciously.

Eren rolled his eyes. 'It's not poison and it's not gonna bite. Now drink it already.’

Sighing, Levi took a sip. His face changed a little- his eyebrows lifted up by the fraction of an inch and his lips parted. These were obvious enough signs but what finally gave Levi away and sealed the deal was the fact that he didn't reply immediately.  
Eren grinned. 'You like it.’

Levi narrowed his eyes. He handed the can back to Eren, contorting his face in disgust. 'It’s canned bile.’

Eren just smiled harder. 'Liar.’

‘It’s disgusting, no matter how much you want to believe otherwise.’

‘I don't believe you for a second.’ Eren had become better at reading Levi, a skill that he was sure he would find use of, again and again.

‘Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall,’ Levi grumbled.

'No, I am just one of two people who doesn't take your shit.’

'I am assuming you are talking about Shitty Glasses,’ Levi murmured.

Eren nodded. ‘They don't get riled up around you which is nothing short of amazing.’

‘You, on the other hand, do,’ Levi completed his thought. 'But don't let it get to you.’

Eren nodded again. ‘You are all bark and no bite, and no one around you knows that except Hange and maybe Eld.’

Levi objected, 'Just because I haven't bitten you yet, doesn't mean I can't bite.’

And with that, came the onslaught of implications the statement carried. An image popped up in Eren's head- Levi's mouth on his skin, making his way across his body, a slew of marks left behind.  
He blushed and turned his face towards the window before Levi could see it.

But Eren couldn't be the only one thinking about this. A statement, filled with so obvious an innuendo, couldn't be an innocent mistake, especially not when it was coming from Levi.

Either way, Eren wasn't one to back down from a challenge. He turned towards Levi, cocked his eyebrow, tilting his head just a little. 'Go on,’ he said. 'Bite me.’

Levi looked at him for a moment, a long moment where they stared each other down, before turning his eyes back on the road. The moment broke, Eren turned back towards the window and smirked. ‘Like I said, all bark.’

  


****

  


Eren yawned and turned around, opening his eyes. It was dark outside. He glanced at Levi, who was still driving, before turning his head to look at the dashboard clock. 17:56.

His nap had gone on for almost four hours, longer than he had expected. He frowned. They were supposed to change shifts at 16:00. 'Hey, Levi, why didn't you-’ He stopped, looking at Levi properly for the first time.

The man was practically bouncing on his seat. He was tapping his leg, bobbing his head to the music and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. 'What?’ he asked, glancing at Eren.  

He didn't stop bobbing his head. Eren narrowed his eyes. 'Why are you acting so weird?’

'What are you talking about?’

'All of this,’ Eren said, gesturing to Levi, ‘your bouncing. What happened? I have never seen you this active.’

'This is what happens when you play good music, brat,’ he said, vibrating like a phone at the edge of a table.

It was then that Eren noticed the smell of chewing gum in the air. He hadn't had a drink since before lunch. He looked around.

'What are you looking for?’ Levi asked.

He shook his head, still searching. He leaned across the gearshift, towards Levi when he spotted it. Four opened, presumably empty cans of Red Bull neatly kept in the door cavity on the driver's side.

He looked up at Levi while still leaning over the gearshift. 'Did you- did you drink it all?’

Levi avoided his eyes, which must have been hard to do with Eren so close to him. ‘No,’ he stupidly denied. 

Eren went back to his seat, staring at Levi the entire time. It was like watching a five year old say they didn't eat the cookie while their entire face was covered with crumbs.

A giggle escaped him before turning into a full fledged laugh. He couldn't help it.  He laughed so hard that his stomach ached, and laughed more when he realised that Levi was smiling, no doubt wanting to be in on the joke. 'You are a terrible liar, Levi.’

'No, I am not,’ he said, but at the same time, turned on the turn signal.

Eren looked at him in question.

'I need to pee,’ Levi admitted, pulling off the interstate.

Eren laughed again, adding more Red Bull to their shopping list. Road trips weren't so bad after all.

 

***

 

They stopped around eight that evening and checked into a roadside motel. Levi would have preferred a proper hotel, having spent the last night in a much nicer one, but this was the only available thing in the area they were in. At least there were two rooms available. Eren had protested, insisting that it was wasteful to spend money on two rooms when they could just get a room with two twin beds instead. But Levi had money to spend and comfort to be had.

He knew Eren probably thought him to be snobbish but in reality, Levi had survived and lived in much worse, had some of his best years in much worse. The motel was clean, which was about the only thing Levi cared about. He preferred nicer hotels because of the security and convenience, but he sure as fuck wasn't going to complain if that was not the case.

They got their room keys and tugged their luggage to their rooms, which were situated adjacent to each other, facing a shallow swimming pool.  
The swimming pool was in an open courtyard, surrounded by pool chairs and beach umbrellas. It was deserted, the sun having set earlier and it being the middle of December. The motel didn't have much else besides the swimming pool and an old vending machine by the register.

'Do you wanna get dinner or are you full?’ Levi asked him, as they stood at their respective doors. They had already stopped for some food at around 6 and Levi didn't think Eren would want to get anything else but it didn't hurt to ask.

Eren shook his head. 'Nope. I am still full. If I get hungry, I will probably raid the vending machine. But I can come along with you, if you want.’

'No, I was asking for you. Okay, brat. Go get some sleep. It's been a long couple of days.’ Levi opened his door and stepped inside, not waiting for his reply.

But he heard it anyway. 'Goodnight, Levi.’

Levi nodded and closed his door. He switched on the lights, looked at his empty motel room and sighed.

  
  
  


Levi sat on one of the pool chairs, next to the swimming pool, with a bottle of beer. It was 2 in the morning and there was no one in sight. Most of the rooms were dark and even the lights around the swimming pool were switched off. The only sources of light were the dimly lit corridor to the far right of the pool, and the full moon.

It was eerily silent. Levi had lived in cities his entire life. He was used to the noise. It was an indication of life, a measure of a city's living, breathing heart- its pulse rate. He didn't think he could ever get used to the absence of it.

The only thing he liked about this place was the fact that he could look up and actually see stars. Not many but still more than what he would get to see in Trost. It was really quite beautiful. If this is what people missed when they moved away from places like these, he could understand why they complained about cities so much.

A door behind him opened, startling him out of his reverie. He looked behind and spotted Eren coming out of his room. The boy stopped in his tracks when he noticed him. 'Levi? What are you doing up?’

'I could ask you that. It's 2 in the morning.’

Eren sighed, coming near him. 'I couldn't sleep so I thought I would take a look around.’

Levi took a sip of his beer. Holding out his room keys, he said, ‘There’s more in my mini-fridge, if you want some.’

Eren stared at Levi's outstretched hand, hesitating.

'It's not poison, it's not going to bite,’ Levi mocked him, repeating what Eren had said earlier.

Eren rolled his eyes but took the keys. Levi settled back on his pool chair while he went to grab more beers. He came back with a bottle in each hand and the keys in his mouth.

'Disgusting brat,’ Levi commented, 'you don't know where those have been. Why can't you hold the bottles in one hand?’

Keeping the bottles down, Eren took the keys out of his mouth and said, ‘I don't want to take any chances.’

He eyed the chair besides Levi's and then glanced at the pool. ‘I want to dip my legs in,’ he said, almost pouting.

Levi shrugged. 'You don't need my permission.’  

'I meant, come sit with me, asshole.’

'On the ground? No thanks.’

'Fine,’ Eren huffed. Taking his beer, he went to sit next to the pool, dipping his legs in before immediately pulling them out. 'Fuck, fuck. It's cold.’

Levi snorted. 'It's December. What did you expect?’  
Trost had been warm enough to go outside in a hoodie and some shorts but as they moved towards Stohess, it was getting steadily colder.  

Eren didn't answer, instead easing his legs back into the pool. Levi could see the effort it took for Eren to not pull back. 'Suicidal idiot. You will catch a cold.’

Eren shook his head. 'I don't get sick. We used to go skinny dipping in a lake near Shiganshina during winters. Somehow, I would be the only one who didn't get a cold.’

Levi stared at his thin cotton bare t-shirt and the rolled up sweatpants that he had borrowed from Levi. It was true. The brat was a heat generator. The few times Levi had touched him, Eren had always been warm, so warm. With his tanned skin, dark brown hair and ocean green eyes, everything about Eren screamed summer and sunshine and warmth. He was like Apollo incarnated, burning always. And Levi could not get used to it.

Levi didn't know what made him get up but he did. Grabbing his beer, he walked over to Eren and sat next to him, cross-legged. He stared at the reflection of the full moon on the water, aware of Eren's eyes on him.

'Why couldn't you sleep?’ Levi asked.

Eren shook his head. Looking down at the ripples forming around his dangling feet, he said instead, 'You know, I have travelled with you for a few days, lived with you for far more and I have never seen you sleep for more than four hours?’

‘I guess we both have a problem,’ Levi replied dryly.

'I know what my problem is, do you know what's yours?’ Eren asked, raising his eyebrow.

'What do you get nightmares of?’ Levi asked instead.

Eren shook his head. 'No, we are not doing this. It isn't fair.’

Levi sighed. The brat wasn't going to budge. 'Okay, fine. A question for a question.’

Eren nodded. 'Good.’

Taking another sip of beer, Levi motioned with his hand. 'Ask away.’

'Why don't you sleep?’ Eren asked.

Levi shrugged. 'I don't know. I just can't.’

'Have you tried going to a doctor?’

‘It’s my turn. What do you get nightmares of?’

‘Your question is too hard,’ Eren protested, ‘Answer mine first.’

'You should have thought of it before. Now, answer.’

Eren shook his head. They stared each other down, not willing to give up. It gave Levi a chance to look at him.  
Eren's face looked angry and beautiful, illuminated by the corridor's dim yellow light. Levi hadn't said anything about his haircut to him but in truth, he liked it. Much more than when it was longer. His black hair was a change that Levi wasn't partial to but found enticing nonetheless. Actually, anything would suit Eren's face. It was too easy on the eyes, something Levi could probably stare at forever, which is why he had to shut this down before it was too late.  
‘Okay,’ Levi conceded, 'yes, I have. I went to a doctor and got a prescription for sleeping pills. They worked for a while but then they stopped. So I stopped taking them. The problem isn't that bad. I don't wander around in the night in my nightgown with a candle in my hand. I sleep. Eventually. It just takes more time than normal.’

'And you get up earlier than normal too,’ Eren observed.

Levi nodded. 'Yes. I always get up early, no matter when I sleep. So some days, I luck out and get a good eight hours. While, other days, I just sleep for four.’

‘What do you do?’ Eren asked.

'Huh?’

'What do you do all those extra hours?’ he clarified.

Levi couldn't help but snort. Of all the questions, he hadn't expected this one. 'I read, work if there's any to be done. I do what one might do when they are awake. Why do you ask?’

'I just- okay, this is stupid- but I just always wondered what I might do if I have all those extra hours in the day.’

'Trust me, brat, not having all those hours is better.’

Eren ducked his head. 'Yeah, you are right.’

Levi looked at his embarrassed face, peering down at the water, and shoved him lightly with his shoulder. 'Okay, my turn. What do you get nightmares of?’

Eren exhaled loudly and took a sip of his beer. 'I, uh, I get nightmares about my dad's car accident and that night.’

'Were you involved in it too?’

Eren shook his head. 'I never even saw it. There's a scene in my brain about my dad's car crashing against the side of a bus. And it's completely made up by my brain. It happened in real life, don't get me wrong, but I never saw it.’ He sighed before continuing, ‘I am so pathetic that I have nightmares about a memory that's not even real.’

‘It’s a natural reaction. It's your dad. Of course, it affects you.’

'No, no. It's not just that,’ Eren said, biting his lip. He looked like he wanted to say something but was trying hard not to say it. Levi could see him make an internal decision. He pushed against that invisible force stopping him and continued, his voice hard and desperate, 'He called me that night. He called me from a payphone in Rose while I was in Shiganshina and told me to pack my stuff because he was coming to get me in the morning and that we had to run. I knew he was acting weird. And what did I do? Nothing. His phone was going to voicemail and he wasn't at home or work and he was acting weird, and what did I, the only family he had, do? Nothing. I sat on my fucking ass and watched fucking Law and Order until his fucking co-worker called me and told me that he died.’ Tears started to spill down his cheeks but he didn't seem to notice them. Levi had seen Eren on the verge of tears before but never like this, never at a point where he didn't care to stop them. He stared straight ahead at the other end of the pool, refusing to look at Levi.

Levi recognized that expression, had seen it on his own face many times: shame, guilt, regret. He put a hand on Eren's cheek, pulling his face towards him, making him meet his eyes. But Eren kept his eyes downwards, looking at the space between them instead.  
'Eren,’ he whispered, making his voice as soft as he could. 'Look at me. Come on.’  
Eren looked up and met his eyes. His beautiful green eyes were hurt and ashamed and angry- so, so angry- and Levi felt his heart twist. ‘It’s not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. Nothing at all. Okay? If you had known that he was going to die, we both know you would have torn heaven and hell apart to save him. It's not your fault.’

Eren shook his head, sniffling. 'I should have known. I knew something was wrong and I did nothing.’

'You were in Shiganshina. He was in Rose. You couldn't have done anything,’ Levi urged.

'I could have, I could have-’ Eren stopped.

'What? What could you have done?’ Levi challenged.

'Called the police,’ Eren finished. ‘I could have called the cops when he first started acting weirdly.’

'I am assuming there's a reason you haven't called the police all this while on the run,’ Levi pointed out.

Mulling over Levi's statement, Eren reluctantly nodded. 'Yeah, I did go to the police the day this all started. They were in on it. Part of Reeve's gang. I barely escaped from there.’

Levi nodded. 'Exactly. Calling the police wouldn't have solved anything. Whether the car accident was planned or whether it was really an accident, it was not your fault. That's not something you could have controlled.’

'But I should have still called,’ he insisted.

'And told them what? That your dad was acting weirdly? What would they have done?’ Levi sighed, slapping his cheek lightly, a small reprimand. ‘It's not your fault, Eren. Whether you did everything you could have or you didn't, it was something that you had no hand in. You didn't cause his death. Stop blaming yourself for that.’

Eren nodded, turning his head back towards the pool. Levi knew Eren didn't believe it fully. He would have been surprised if he had. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that it was a start. He would believe it one day.

Eren cleared his throat, wiping his tears with his hand before taking another sip of his beer. ‘My turn. Tell me more about your friend,’ he said, his voice hoarse. 

Levi blinked. 'My friend?’

Eren nodded. Clearing his throat, he added in a voice which was closer to normal, 'The one who likes coleslaw.’

Levi's first instinct was to deflect, change the topic, even get up and walk away. But he knew that Eren needed this- needed a distraction- and he had already opened the Pandora's box in that diner by bringing her up so he might as well commit to it.  
'Her name,’ he began, a little unsure of how to proceed, 'was Isabel. She was two years younger than me. An annoying pest who refused to go away and kept following me, calling me 'Big bro’. She… was hyper to say the least. Not a big fan of rules. She got bored very easily and always found ways to screw things up, just to get a break from the normal. But not in a way which hurt anyone. She had a strong sense of right and wrong. She couldn't watch injustice, which was unfortunate since we lived in Mitras. She would try to help every injured animal, child, insect, you name it. It would always end up being a problem for me and our other friend, Furlan. She had a very big heart. Furlan and I couldn't even fight in front of her because she would get upset and start screaming at us.’  
He hadn't said those names aloud in a long time. He knew Hange was aware of their existence, had heard of them from Eld and some older employees, but they had never mentioned them to him. He had stopped talking about them when getting their names out without choking on empty air had proved to be too difficult. But years had, apparently, made it more bearable.

A small smile graced Eren's face. ‘I think I would have liked her.’

Levi was grateful that he didn't ask why she was being referred to in the past tense. He nodded. 'Yes, you would have. You guys would have had a lot in common. Pain in my asses, both of you.’

Eren snorted. ‘I think we would both agree that it is you who is the pain in the ass.’

Levi shoved him again.

Eren grinned. 'Okay, your turn.’

Levi wondered whether he should ask his question or not. He didn't want to push the brat too hard but he had wanted to enquire about this for so long. He wanted to make sense of all that was going on.  
‘You said you went to the police the day this all started. How did it start?’ he asked, taking the risk.

'Oh,’ Eren said, straightening. He paused before beginning, ‘It started the day after the- the car accident. That night, after I got the call, I couldn't handle it. I just couldn't bear being in my house. I knew I should book a flight or a bus to Rose, get there as soon as possible. But I just couldn't. Instead, I went to my ex, Annie's house. We had broken up last year but we were still good friends. The thing about Annie is that she doesn't ask questions when you don't want her to. So I showed up at her doorstep, devastated, and she didn't say anything. Just let me in and handed me a bottle of vodka. I stayed there the entire night, going home only in the morning.’

He took a gulp of his beer before continuing, ‘In the morning, I was walking home. I was hungover and still in shock, I think. It was then, when I passed by an ATM. My dad's words came back to me. To run, to take out all the money, to pack the essentials. Suddenly, it hit me that maybe it wasn't a car accident at all. I don't know why it took that long. Paranoia hit me and I withdrew as much money as I could from my account, which wasn't much. They had a limit of one grand. I walked the last couple blocks home. I was paranoid but I was still dubious? Like I still didn't fully believe it. I didn't know what to think.

‘I reached my apartment building. My apartment is on the third floor, well, was on the third floor. The landlord must have thrown out all my stuff by now. Not that it matters. Anyways, you can see the window clearly from the road. One of the things that made me think twice about taking it. So, my eyes went to my window and I saw men in there. In my apartment. Men dressed in black, like that scene from Pulp Fiction where they go to that boxer's apartment. I couldn't see what they were doing but they were moving around. And I checked again. I counted the floors and counted the windows sideways, to make sure it was my apartment. And it was. I could see the plant on the window sill with its pot still wrapped in bubble wrap. It was mine, without a doubt. So I acted on my instincts.

‘And I ran. I ran and I only stopped after covering four blocks. I searched my pockets for my phone and I couldn't find it. I think I never carried it to Annie's apartment. All I could think at that moment was that I couldn't call 911 and my dad was dead and there were people in my apartment. I did the next best thing and ran straight to the nearest police station. It was next to a Target and, God, I had never been happier to see a police station ever. I went straight inside and the lady at the desk assigned me to a police officer. He calmed me down and took me to his table. He gave me a glass of water and asked me what happened. He was so nice. I told him and I told him my name, which now I know I shouldn't have. He told me that he would get right into it and to wait there while he made calls and arranged backup. And he went out of the room, in the corridor. I could see him with his back turned to me, his phone to his ear. I was too anxious to wait at the table. I wanted to know what was happening. So I followed him outside and I overheard him saying, ‘Yeah, he's here. Jaeger's son. Yeah, I am sure it's him. I don't know if he has it. I will keep him here but you need to send someone fast.’ And I think he said something else too but I didn't wait to hear. I ran again, past all the other police officers and civilians. I don't know if the other officers were in on it too and simply didn't know it was me, or if they were completely clueless. Either way, I ran. Now that I am sure it's Reeve’s men, I wouldn't be surprised if most of them were in on it. So yeah, I have been running ever since.’ Eren looked at Levi.

His eyes weren't sad anymore but rather, anxious as he searched Levi's face. Levi knew he was anticipating his reaction. This was probably the first time Eren had told this to anyone and that mattered. Levi wished it was Hange or Petra here and not him, because even though he wanted to be what Eren wanted, he wasn't sure he could. Nonetheless, Levi was here, not Hange or Petra, and so he did the only thing he could do: try his best.  
‘I am going to tell this to you once, and then never again. So listen carefully.’ He paused. 'You have done a good job of keeping yourself alive for this long, a better job than someone else in your place would have done.’

Eren smiled- a small smile but it was real- and Levi felt warm, even though it was probably 50 degrees out here. 'The great Levi complimenting me? Am I being punk’d? Is Ashton Kutcher here?’

‘You little shit.' Levi smiled back, which turned Eren's small smile into a grin. They sat there, two grinning fools under the moonlight.

And then Eren did something Levi could have never imagined happening in a million years and yet, when it happened, it didn't feel like a surprise, but something that had been a long time coming, something that had been inevitable from the moment they had met.

Eren reached between them, grabbed Levi's sweatshirt and kissed him.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! There's more to come. My academic year just ended so I have so much more time to write and I can tell you there's so much more to come. 
> 
> Thank you to all those who support this fic in any way. It means so much and is the reason that this fic keeps going. 
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos, comments, anything.


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